Carbon Capture Coalition Statement on the Announcement of the First Natural Gas + Carbon Capture and Storage Project for Data Centers  

The following statement may be attributed to Jessie Stolark, Executive Director of the Carbon Capture Coalition. The Carbon Capture Coalition is a nonpartisan collaboration of more than 100 companies, labor unions, and conservation and environmental policy organizations. Coalition members collaborate to establish the foundation for a comprehensive portfolio of federal policies that enables nationwide, commercial-scale deployment of carbon management technologies.  

“Today marks an important milestone in the deployment of natural gas plus carbon capture and storage (NG + CCS), with Google’s announcement to purchase power from a new natural gas-fired power plant facility being developed by Low Carbon Infrastructure at the Broadwing plant in Decatur, Illinois. The carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from the power plant will be stored at ADM’s operating Class VI well, the longest operating Class VI well in the nation.  

“After decades of flat electricity demand, the US power sector is poised for dramatic growth. Electricity demand is projected to rise between 35 and 40 percent by 2040, driven by demand from AI and data centers, manufacturing, and the continued electrification of the economy. Due to these drivers, natural gas is expected to remain a central component of the US electricity mix through well into the next decade. 

“The Coalition has been steadfast on the complementary role that carbon capture and storage must play in the power sector. NG + CCS’ value-add is only rising in our current energy system, where affordable, firm, clean dispatchable power is essential to driving our increasingly digital economy, while ensuring we reduce air pollutants and CO₂ emissions from new and existing power generation.  

“According to Carbon Direct, NG + CCS has the potential to meet nearly two-thirds of the current projected power demand from data centers based on its potential as a timely, reliable, and low-carbon source of power. Increasingly, due to concerns about affordability and timing, companies are entering into power purchase agreements with power producers for new, dispatchable, clean generation that does not increase ratepayers’ bills.   

“This first NG + CCS project linked to a data center not only demonstrates the value of the technology for powering the digital economy, but also the importance of building out supportive transport and storage infrastructure for captured CO₂. Since ADM began operation of the US’s first Class VI well more than a decade ago, the company has safely and permanently stored more than 3.5 million metric tons of CO₂ under a rigorous regulatory program overseen by the US EPA.  

“The Coalition and its members will continue to advocate for the right mix of federal policies that catalyze the deployment of NG + CCS and its necessary supportive infrastructure at scale, through market signals, regulations, and permitting. We welcome Google’s announcement and will work with our members, policymakers and the broader ecosystem to ensure that NG + CCS can be an affordable, reliable component of the American energy system.”  

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The Carbon Capture Coalition (the Coalition) is a nonpartisan collaboration of more than 100 companies, labor unions, and conservation and environmental policy organizations. Coalition members work together to lay the groundwork for the necessary portfolio of federal policies to enable nationwide, commercial-scale deployment of carbon management technologies.