Authors Kacey Garber, PG, and Charles Hostetler, PhD, conclude that the Illinois Safety and Aid for the Environment in Carbon Capture and Sequestration Act (SAFE CCS Act) of 2024 plays a crucial role in providing clarity for prospective project owners interested in developing value-added products based on low-carbon intensity ethanol. The Act’s potential to expand the market for low-carbon intensity ethanol through value-added products such as sustainable aviation fuel and other chemicals can significantly enhance the financial incentives for carbon sequestration projects.
Several U.S. states have obtained or are pursuing primacy for regulating Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) wells for carbon sequestration through a state agency. In Illinois’ case, U.S. EPA Region 5 will continue to hold primacy under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to regulate Class VI UIC wells. However, the Illinois SAFE CCS Act, with its emphasis on state-level accountability, prohibits project operators from implementing CCS without meeting additional state-level requirements and receiving state agency approval. This design is intended to provide clarity for project operators and build confidence in the development and implementation of CCS projects.
Illinois manufacturers, and manufacturers in other states with similar legislation, who are pursuing or plan to pursue CCS and are subject to the requirements of SAFE CCS will acknowledge these requirements and the impacts on project schedule, cost, and scope for the permitting, operation, and post-closure phases as the authors explain in their article Illinois SAFE CCS Act of 2024: How Will it Impact Illinois Manufacturers?
Fourth-Quarter-2024-TIM_Illinois SAFE CCS Act of 2024
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