UW’s Krutka Discusses Carbon Capture and Storage on ‘60 Minutes’

University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) Executive Director Holly Krutka was interviewed by national news correspondent Bill Whitaker on “60 Minutes” as part of an episode exploring Wyoming’s energy strategy and innovation in the state.

The segment on the long-running Sunday night CBS News program focused on Gov. Mark Gordon and his pledge to make Wyoming net negative for carbon emissions. In it, he discusses support for every type of energy development while addressing climate concerns through innovation.

Supporting the continued development of fossil fuels through the use of carbon capture and storage technology is an important topic in that conversation, with research led and managed by SER and its collaborators at the forefront.

“The likelihood that we will truly as a world ever move away from fossil fuels is very low,” Krutka says. “SER is leading multiple projects in the state -- and in the nation -- to advance carbon capture and storage technologies that will allow us to continue supplying the country with reliable and affordable energy for the foreseeable future.”

In addition to major carbon storage efforts including four federally funded CarbonSAFE projects, SER manages the Wyoming Integrated Test Center (ITC), a carbon capture and utilization test facility located at Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s Dry Fork Station near Gillette. Opening its doors in 2018, the center provides space for technology developers to test their carbon management technologies using actual coal-based flue gas directly from the power plant. The ITC hosts several technology developers, and footage of the facility also was included on the “60 Minutes” episode.

As with any new technology, the cost of deploying carbon capture and storage on a commercial scale remains a challenge, though increased implementation of the technology will continue to bring those costs down.

“It will always be cheaper to do nothing than to add carbon capture and storage,” Krutka says. “If you want to reduce emissions, this is part of the solution. We have to decide: Is it worth the cost?”

Consistent with the pursuit of an “all-of-the-above” energy policy, the episode also explores Wyoming’s largest wind project, the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project, and a novel electricity-generating power project launched by Crusoe Energy Systems repurposing natural gas that would otherwise be flared and wasted. The projects demonstrate the diversity of Wyoming’s energy portfolio as well as its welcoming attitude toward developers.

“I think we are trying to grow the overall amount of energy -- not a shift necessarily, but an expansion,” Krutka says. “Wyoming is a great place for innovation. There’s no reason to pit different energy technologies against each other. We are very grateful to Bill and the rest of the ‘60 Minutes’ team for providing the opportunity to share all that Wyoming has to offer for all energy innovation.”

The sentiment is shared by the governor.

“We want to be part of the solution,” Gordon says. “There are some really remarkable things that if we stop talking about what we shouldn’t do and start talking about what we can do and how we can embrace that future. And that’s what we’re dedicated to here in Wyoming.”

To view the transcript of the episode, visit www.cbsn.ws/3R9pdaI, or watch the full replay here.