Summary/Abstract
Engineered technological solutions to carbon removal, such as carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), and direct air capture (DAC), face several regulatory challenges in California to develop a demonstration project, from siting and permitting to incentives and industry standards. To address these challenges, UC Berkeley School of Law’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE) and UCLA School of Law’s Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment convened state energy, fossil fuel, and natural resources management leaders; carbon removal experts; and climate and air quality advocates in November 2020 to identify top-priority policy solutions. This policy brief outlines the vision these stakeholders described for deploying engineered carbon removal technologies, the key barriers limiting progress toward that vision, and actionable solutions to overcome those barriers.