07.27.16

Hoeven Announces $2.5 Million Grant for UND's EERC to Test CO2 Storage Technology

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, who serves on the U.S. Senate Energy and Appropriations committees, today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $2.5 million to the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota (UND). The funds will allow EERC to test a new, low-impact method to monitor the underground storage of CO2, which has the potential to provide more cost-effective and timely surveys compared to traditional seismic monitoring. The tests will be conducted at Bell Creek Field in southeastern Montana.

“The EERC is a leader in the development of technologies and systems that will help our nation produce more energy with better environmental stewardship,” Hoeven said. “This grant will help advance a new method for monitoring the underground storage of CO2, which will help make carbon capture and sequestration more cost-effective and commercially viable.”

Hoeven continues working to advance the development and deployment of innovative technologies to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the nation’s energy development. To this end, the senator helped secure $30 million for the development of commercially viable carbon capture and sequestration technology (CCS) in the Fiscal Year 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which the Senate passed in May. Currently, Minnkota Power Cooperative and ALLETE Clean Energy are jointly working on a proposal to develop a carbon capture project that would be eligible to apply for funding.

Hoeven has also promoted more cooperative agreements between DOE and the nation’s research universities. Earlier this year, Hoeven announced a $9.5 million expansion of DOE’s cooperative agreement with the EERC to conduct research and develop technologies to reduce emissions from fossil fuels.

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