Supplementary material from "Total cost of carbon capture and storage implemented at a regional scale: northeastern and midwestern United States"

We model the costs of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in subsurface geological formations for emissions from 138 northeastern and midwestern electricity-generating power plants. The analysis suggests coal-sourced CO₂ emissions can be stored in this region at a cost of $52–$60 per ton, whereas the cost to store emission from natural-gas-fired plants ranges from ∼$80 to $90. Storing emissions offshore increases the lowest total costs of CCS to over $60 per ton of CO₂ for coal. Since there apparently is sufficient onshore storage in the northeastern and midwestern US, offshore storage is not necessary or economical unless there are additional costs or suitability issues associated with the onshore reservoirs. For example, if formation pressures are prohibitive in a large-scale deployment of onshore CCS, or if there is opposition to onshore storage, offshore storage space could likely store emissions at an additional cost of less than $10 per ton. Finally, it is likely that more than 8 Gt of total CO₂ emissions from this region can be stored for less $60 per ton, slightly more than the $50 per ton Section 45Q tax credits incentivizing CCS.