Carbon capture and storage presents a number of legal issues that must be re-solved, or the technical ability to capture and store CO₂ will mean little. We want to ensure that states have policies in place to deal with liability for stored carbon. Only then can we make significant progress toward carbon capture and storage.

Our vision is that we will inject CO₂ into underground storage areas or use it for enhanced oil recovery. These technologies have been used and shown to be safe by the oil and gas industry for many years, and we believe they are viable ways to manage and store CO₂.

We are working with insurance companies to assess the risks and costs and with state and national leaders to address long-term liability issues. We believe that the best option is for the government to accept the long-term liability for stored carbon regardless of whether insurance companies are willing to write such policies. This approach would provide the means for continued monitoring of the wells and corrective actions, if needed. We are promoting legislation in our states following the model advocated by the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.