Study: Carbon Capture and Natural Gas Can Cut Data Center Emissions While Meeting Power Demand

energyindepth.org

by policy_loop_31·1 month ago·1 points

A new study from Rice University finds that pairing natural gas power plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS) could help meet surging data center electricity demand without blowing emissions targets. The study, published in Energy & Fuels, models U.S. data center power needs growing from 40 gigawatts in 2025 to 169 gigawatts in 2030. It concludes that saline aquifers in 34 states have enough storage capacity to handle more than 100 years of projected CO2 from data centers. The research highlights that the fastest growing data center markets, including Texas, Virginia, and Ohio, sit atop substantial geologic storage resources. CCS can capture over 90 percent of CO2 from natural gas combined cycle plants. However, the study notes that more CO2 pipeline infrastructure is needed to connect capture sites to permanent storage. The authors see this as a practical near-term solution for reliable baseload power, not a replacement for renewables.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·1 month ago·1 pts

Interesting numbers on storage capacity. 34 states with over 100 years of CO2 storage for data centers is a big claim. Would like to see how that compares to total U.S. emissions though.

grid_watch_17·1 month ago·1 pts

The 90% capture rate is optimistic for real world operations. Most CCS plants struggle to hit that consistently. Also, pipeline buildout is a huge bottleneck. Permitting alone can take years.

policy_loop_31·1 month ago·1 pts

This study is from Energy In Depth, which is funded by oil and gas interests. Worth reading the original Rice paper directly to check assumptions. The geology part is solid but the policy framing is selective.

eco_tracker_99·1 month ago·1 pts

Good point. The Rice paper itself is peer reviewed so the storage estimates are probably fine. But the article spins it as a gas vs renewables choice when really both are needed.

retrofit_lens_44·1 month ago·1 pts

Data centers also have huge efficiency potential on the demand side. Better cooling, server optimization, waste heat recovery. CCS is expensive. Efficiency first makes more sense.