Salt Lake Tribune reporter Judy Fahys’ article, “USTAR official says jury still out on climate change,” accurately depicts remarks made by Alan J. Walker, USTAR Eastern Region technology outreach director, before an interim Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee meeting yesterday at the state capitol.
The demands of the newspaper business for short, punchy copy sometimes provide an opportunity for further context. We’d like to take that opportunity and expand on Walker’s remarks, USTAR’s efforts in carbon sequestration technology, and the need to consider state legislation to further this critical clean technology research.
USTAR is a technology-based economic development initiative, staffed by experienced business people. We do not have an official position on the science of climate change. We leave that to the scientific experts we work with at the state’s universities. We do have an official position on the business of climate change.
USTAR is in the business of preserving and creating jobs, and pursuing carbon management research is critical to that strategy. The political debate in Congress has not yet resolved, but the likelihood of increased federal regulation of carbon emissions presents both an economic threat and a business opportunity. If USTAR-funded research moves ahead as planned, and if large-scale carbon sequestration proves viable, then existing energy jobs can be saved and new jobs in an emerging carbon management industry can arise.
Regardless of the debate at the federal level, the California energy market (where a large percentage of Utah-generated electricity is sold) is demanding an increasing amount of carbon-managed energy. It’s imperative for us to explore clean technology such as carbon sequestration to remain a viable supplier to California.
Utah is at the forefront of carbon management research. A multi-state, multi-institution team led by USTAR researcher Brian McPherson, Ph.D., is one of only three national projects funded by the federal Department of Energy (DOE) to investigate carbon sequestration at the commercial scale.
Walker’s presentation at yesterday’s hearing was to encourage the Legislature to consider a bill that will push carbon management technology forward. Despite the scientific and technical expertise of McPherson and his team, we are in a situation where the laws may need to catch up with the science. Potential liability issues could impact the ability to perform a production-scale test of carbon sequestration in central Utah. Testing at that scale is needed to verify the long-term efficacy of the technology, and that has economic implications for the state and the nation.
When asked by several legislators to comment on the scientific debate surrounding climate change, Walker stated that he is not a climatologist, but in his opinion, the jury is still out on the question. He then stressed that we need to move forward with sequestration research projects regardless; when public policy is set to manage carbon, Utah needs to have the answers on whether carbon sequestration is technically feasible.
USTAR benefits from a diversity of opinion in its staff. Walker’s passion for economic growth makes him one of the state’s strongest advocates for carbon sequestration research and development. We urge our lawmakers to consider carbon sequestration legislation regarding liability and pore space ownership so that Utah’s energy economy can be sustained and grow in the future.
For more information on Brian McPherson’s research, visit http://www.innovationutah.com/carbonengineering.html
