OTTAWA/EDMONTON – The Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources, and the Honourable Mel Knight, Alberta Minister of Energy, today released the final report of the Canada–Alberta ecoENERGY Carbon Capture and Storage Task Force. The report, entitled Canada's Fossil Energy Future: The Way Forward on Carbon Capture and Storage, provides advice on how governments and industry can work together to facilitate and support the development of carbon capture and storage opportunities in Canada.
Ministers Lunn and Knight thanked the Chair of the Task Force, Mr. Steve Snyder, and members of the Task Force, stating, "We appreciate the work that Task Force members have put into the final report. Their findings will contribute to government and industry taking advantage of Canada's status as a global front-runner in the technologies to capture and store carbon dioxide."
The recommendations from the Task Force include: incorporating carbon capture and storage into Canada's clean air regulations; allocating new funding to projects through a competitive process; and targeting research efforts to lower the cost of this technology.
"The recommendations put forward by the Task Force support our Government's ongoing action on carbon capture and storage and provide additional options on how government and industry can work together to take advantage of new opportunities," said Minister Lunn. "I look forward to reviewing these options with my colleagues in the provinces, territories and industry."
"Developing viable carbon capture and storage technology is a key to greening both Alberta's and Canada's growth," said Minister Knight. "This report provides important insight into this innovative and proven method of reducing the carbon footprint of development, allowing us to maintain an economic advantage for Albertans and all Canadians."
Carbon capture and storage has the potential to greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired electrical plants, industrial emitters, and oil and gas operations. The Task Force was formed in March 2007 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach to recommend the best ways for Canada to implement carbon capture and storage on a large scale. Canada's Fossil Energy Future: The Way Forward on Carbon Capture and Storage is available at www.nrcan.gc.ca and www.energy.gov.ab.ca.
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The governments of Canada and Alberta have released the final report of the Carbon Capture and Storage Task Force. The report provides advice on how governments and industry can work together to facilitate and support the development of carbon capture and storage opportunities in Canada.
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