Secretary of Energy launches “Carbon Negative Shot” to explore atmospheric CO2 removal

In Washington, D.C., U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm announced the U.S. Department of Energy’s new goal to remove gigatons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and durably store it for less than $100/ton of net CO₂-equivalent. The “Carbon Negative Shot,” the third target within DOE’s Energy Earthshots Initiative, is the U.S. government’s first major effort in carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and is an all-hands-on-deck call for innovation in the expanding field of CDR—a key piece of the plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Success in this effort will rely on technology innovations developed by DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), including bio-based CDR technologies like soil carbon sequestration and exploring the potential of bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS), focusing on feedstock logistics and ensuring biomass sustainability. BETO funds research on ensuring sustainable production of biomass in line with the rigorous analysis in volumes 1 and 2 of the 2016 Billion Ton Report.

Read more about BETO’s research and funding priorities on the BETO website.