Both public and private sector actors are increasingly interested in direct air capture (DAC) and other carbon management technologies, driven in part by increased ambition of companies’ carbon management commitments and significantly increased federal incentives for deployment. This has significant implications for Wyoming, whose long history of energy development has produced a legacy of communities with deep expertise in underground resources and reservoir management. Regulatory expertise and conditions like Class VI primacy create a smoother path to project permitting, creating a tremendous opportunity to build the nation’s first generation of large-scale DAC facilities and lead the industry in its development. In May 2023, C2ES organized a roundtable bringing together policymakers, businesses, nonprofits, and other stakeholders in the region to explore this opportunity and the associated regulatory and technological challenges in Wyoming. This brief summarizes key takeaways from the discussion and offers recommendations for state and federal policymakers, to help grow this nascent industry in Wyoming and the nation.
Setting the Stage for Direct Air Capture in Wyoming
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