As the U.S. aims to slash greenhouse emissions, scientists say removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere also needs to be a small piece of the puzzle.
A group of communities in the Mountain West are now giving grants to some companies that say they’ll do just that.
The 4 Corners Carbon Coalition — made up of local governments in Boulder County, Colo., Salt Lake City, Utah, Flagstaff, Ariz. and Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M. — is handing out $335,000 this year to four local companies.
“The priority here is to help initiate novel projects that have a potential to scale and that also demonstrate local benefits, rather than picking projects that maximize carbon removal volume,” said Susie Strife, the director of climate action for Boulder County.
In the first grant cycle, the communities focused on efforts to remove carbon from concrete manufacturing — a process from which it’s notoriously difficult to reduce emissions.
This year, the coalition is supporting companies developing technologies to repurpose organic waste.
“We're thinking of woody debris, old, decaying biomass on the forest floor, or other organic materials that we're struggling to manage,” Strife said.
Strife said an added benefit of removing “liability biomass” from the forest is reducing wildfire potential. The companies’ products take that carbon source, which would otherwise be released, and store it underground or in new products.
Gila WoodNet, based in New Mexico, was awarded $145,000 to process biomass into pellets that can boost soil health, while Bioforcetech Inc. was given $50,000 to explore using biosolids from municipal waste to create sustainable asphalt and concrete.
Some critics of carbon removal say it distracts from efforts to cut emissions. But Strife said both are necessary for local governments to meet their carbon goals. She said the coalition’s work could pave the way for policy solutions that support carbon removal.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio (KNPR) in Las Vegas, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
