But to achieve our ultimate goal of stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, we must also look to long-range concepts that can sequester or reuse carbon from industrial processes and fuel combustion gases. Pe a announced the new program today in Pittsburgh at a meeting with local industrial leaders and public interest organizations. The meeting was co-hosted by the Departments of Commerce and Energy to discuss the Administration's climate change policies. Proposers will have 60 days to submit prospective concepts. Proposers will be asked to submit novel, science-based concepts for sequestering, storing or reusing these gases.
Approaches can include chemical or biological conversion methods, as well as physical storage.
For example, a variety of intriguing carbon recycling approaches have been suggested using natural and artificial photosynthesis to produce fuels from carbon dioxide and water. Sequestration concepts must be capable of storing the gases, or carbon from the gases, in a form that will remain stable for centuries. A prime emphasis will be on reducing costs. Current technology for sequestering these gases could double electricity prices, according to studies by Argonne National Laboratory and others. Equipping power plants with these technologies could also cut efficiencies by as much as 40 percent, since much of the plant's energy would be diverted to the sequestration technology.