NSF Convergence Accelerator: Workshop on technological and societal hurdles facing carbon capture

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This project will organize and host a workshop to expand collaboration among stakeholders in academia, industry, state and federal government, and community sectors to develop carbon capture and sequestration as a potential topic for a future topic (track) of the NSF Convergence Accelerator. Carbon capture and sequestration has the potential to be an impactful part of efforts to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Substantial reduction of atmospheric CO2 levels has the potential to slow climate impacts, providing benefits to U.S. society and global communities. Many of the technical hurdles to carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) have been surmounted or discussed in other events. The key value of this event is engaging a range of stakeholders to develop a potential Convergence Accelerator topic that considers the risks, challenges, and opportunities of CSS. The stakeholders who will be engaged include researchers in the geosciences, engineering, and economics, representatives from the petroleum industry and environmental stewardship organizations, policymakers, community organizations including Tribal groups, and also state and federal agencies. The workshop will help define how technological, economic, legal, political, and community challenges related to CCS can be assessed and addressed in a Convergence Accelerator track. If that track were to be selected, it could allow multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder teams to expand pilot projects in ways that appropriately address risk, address community concerns, provide strong economic benefits through development of sequestration infrastructure, and have a measurable effect on atmospheric CO2.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.