North America Contains 500 Years of Carbon Storage

North America has at least 500 years of storage in geologic formations that could accommodate carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sources. The Department of Energy, along with federal partners in Canada and Mexico, produced an atlas that maps the potential carbon dioxide storage capacity of North America—the North American Carbon Storage Atlas. The 52-page atlas documents the location of over 2,000 large stationary carbon dioxide sources, in addition to the locations of potential geologic storage, in order to determine potential capture and storage projects. The agency argues that carbon storage is an important option for reducing carbon pollution while still meeting the country’s growing demand for energy.