The Carbon Management Institute (CMI) at the University of Wyoming engages in the research and development necessary to keep Wyoming at the cutting edge of geological CO2 storage, a process essential to future carbon management efforts.
Successful CO2 storage is extremely important to the continued viability of Wyoming’s natural resources, particularly coal. Currently, half of the electricity generated in the U.S. comes from coal-fired sources, and approximately 40 percent of the coal comes from Wyoming. Wyoming’s coal industry contributes more than $1.2 billion annually to the state’s economy and provides a considerable percentage of the state’s primary and secondary jobs. The federal government’s goal of an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 requires accelerated exploration of the CO2 storage technologies necessary to ensure that Wyoming coal remains a viable energy resource.
Through various research projects and cooperative initiatives, CMI aims to speed the development and deployment of successful, safe geologic CO2 storage, both in Wyoming and elsewhere.