Getting to Neutral: Options for Negative Carbon Emissions in California

Technical Report · 01 January 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1597217· OSTI ID:1597217

Baker, Sarah E. ^[1]; Stolaroff, Joshuah K. ^[1]; Peridas, George ^[1]; Pang, Simon H. ^[1]; Goldstein, Hannah M. ^[1]; Lucci, Felicia R. ^[1]; Li, Wenqin ^[1]; Slessarev, Eric W. ^[1]; Pett-Ridge, Jennifer ^[1]; Ryerson, Frederick J. ^[1]; Wagoner, Jeff L. ^[1]; Kirkendall, Whitney ^[1]; Aines, Roger D. ^[1]; Sanchez, Daniel L. ^[2]; Cabiyo, Bodie ^[2]; Baker, Joffre ^[3]; McCoy, Sean ^[4]; Uden, Sam ^[5]; Runnebaum, Ron ^[6]; Wilcox, Jennifer ^[7] ; Psarras, Peter C. ^[7]; Pilorge, Helene ^[7]; McQueen, Noah ^[7]; Maynard, Daniel ^[7]; McCormick, Colin ^[8]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
2. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
3. Negative Carbon Consulting, Half Moon Bay, CA (United States)
4. Univ. of Calgary, AB (Canada)
5. Univ. of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD (Australia)
6. Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)
7. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MA (United States)
8. Georgetown Univ., Washington, DC (United States); Valence Strategic, Washington, DC (United States)

This report is an assessment of negative emissions pathways - ones that physically remove CO₂ from the atmosphere - that can help California achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, or sooner. It integrates original research findings with current published research on three main pillars of negative emissions: natural and working lands, carbon capture from biomass conversion to fuels, and direct air capture. The focus and scope of this report is unique: it only addresses practices and technologies for removing carbon dioxide from the air. It also encompasses the entire breadth of strategies, from land management to the latest technological options, and it evaluates the cost of every step of the solution, from waste biomass collection to carbon dioxide transport and geologic storage. The methods are intended to be transparent; details of the calculations and underlying data are included in the report body and appendices. This study intentionally avoids any discussion of policies and does not include current incentives; it provides a range of options, tradeoffs and costs that can be used to inform future policies. The key finding of this report is that carbon neutrality is achievable.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Negative Carbon Consulting, Half Moon Bay, CA (United States); Univ. of Calgary, AB (Canada); Univ. of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD (Australia); Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States); Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MA (United States); Georgetown Univ., Washington, DC (United States); Valence Strategic, Washington, DC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC52-07NA27344
• OSTI ID: 1597217
• Report Number(s): LLNL-TR-796100; 997550
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
energy conversion
energy biomass
engineering
energy