UT Receives $6 Million to Study Carbon Storage

The university will use $6 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Texas General Land Office to identify state-owned areas underlying the Gulf of Mexico where carbon dioxide can be stored safely and economically. This study is the first in the U.S. to investigate the potential for permanent underground storage of CO2 in offshore geologic formations. Carbon storage is one option being considered for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. Storing CO2 deep beneath the Gulf floor could also potentially earn substantial amounts of money for public education in Texas.