THE NETL CARBON SEQUESTRATION NEWSLETTER: ANNUAL INDEX SEPTEMBER 2005 – AUGUST 2006 This is a compilation of the past year’s monthly National Energy Technology Laboratory Carbon Sequestration Newsletter. The newsletter is produced by the NETL to provide information on activities and publications related to carbon sequestration. It covers domestic, international, public sector, and private sector news. This compilation covers newsletters issued between September 2005 and August 2006. It highlights the primary news and events that have taken place in the carbon sequestration arena over the past year. Information that has become outdated (e.g. conference dates, paper submittals, etc.) was removed. To navigate this document please use the Table of Contents below, the Bookmarks tab or the Acrobat search tool (Ctrl+F). To subscribe to this newsletter, please visit http://listserv.netl.doe.gov/mailman/listinfo/sequestration. 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HIGHLIGHTS ............................................................................................................................................ 2 SEQUESTRATION IN THE NEWS .............................................................................................................. 5 ANNOUNCEMENTS ................................................................................................................................ 29 SCIENCE................................................................................................................................................. 32 POLICY .................................................................................................................................................. 42 GEOLOGY .............................................................................................................................................. 55 TECHNOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................... 59 TERRESTRIAL ........................................................................................................................................ 72 OCEAN................................................................................................................................................... 76 TERRESTRIAL/OCEAN........................................................................................................................... 79 TRADING ............................................................................................................................................... 85 RECENT PUBLICATIONS ........................................................................................................................ 94 LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY....................................................................................................................... 107 HIGHLIGHTS February 2006 US State Department Press Release, “Climate Change Partnership Looks to Private Sector for Help,” The Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate meeting was held in Sydney, Australia, January 11-12. The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate meeting concluded with the establishment of eight public-private task forces serving to accelerate clean technology deployment and share best practices in key business sectors. The task forces are described in detail in the work plan and include: (1) cleaner fossil energy; (2) renewable energy and distributed generation; (3) power generation and transmission; (4) steel; (5) aluminum; (6) cement; (7) coal mining; and (8) buildings and appliances. Partner countries have agreed to work together with private companies to expand markets for investment and trade in cleaner, more efficient energy technologies, goods, and services. On the last day of the meeting, the ministers adopted three documents: a charter that provides a framework and a structure, a communiqué that highlights key outcomes, and a work plan that maps out an intensive agenda of near-term work for the task forces. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said that over the next year “we want to find out from the working groups what specific progress they’re making in those areas, not just to facilitate access to technology but to see that technology is evolving in ways that are going to contribute to alleviating the problems of climate change.” Downer said that Australia will contribute $100 million over five years to the partnership. (See: http://www.dfat.gov.au/environment/climate/ap6/ for links to the charter, communiqué, and work plan.) January 13, 2006, http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/Archive/2006/Jan/13-487324.html. March 2006 DOE Techline, and FutureGen Alliance Website, “FutureGen Industrial Alliance Announces Site Selection Process for World's First "Zero Emissions" Coal Plant,” The FutureGen Alliance (the Alliance) will build the FutureGen plant on a site selected through an open, competitive site-selection process. According to the FutureGen Alliance website, they accepted comments and clarifying questions on the draft Request for Proposals (RFP) through midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on February 28, 2006, with a final RFP targeted for release on March 7, 2006. View the draft RFP at: http://www.futuregenalliance.org/news/draft_siting_rfp.pdf. The proposals for the host site are due in May 2006. The Alliance will develop a list of candidate sites by the summer of 2006 based on an evaluation of the proposals received. Information about the process is provided on the FutureGen Alliance website: http://www.futuregenalliance.org/. Prospective site offerors, architecture and engineering firms, technology suppliers and other service providers are encouraged to monitor the Alliance website for participation opportunities. Draft RFPs, Request for Qualifications, and questions and answers to appear at: http://www.futuregenalliance.org/news.stm. Members of the Alliance include: American Electric Power; BHP Billiton; the China Huaneng Group; CONSOL Energy Inc.; Foundation Coal; Kennecott Energy, a member of the Rio Tinto Group; Peabody Energy; and Southern Company. February 8, 2006, http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications/press/2006/06007-FutureGen_Site_Selection_Process.html. April 2006 DOE Techline, “Industrial Alliance Searches for FutureGen Facility Host Site.” The FutureGen Industrial Alliance, Inc. (Alliance) invites proposals for sites upon which the Alliance will build and operate the world’s first coal-based, zero emissions power plant. The FutureGen power plant will produce electricity and hydrogen-rich synthetic gas from coal while capturing and permanently storing carbon dioxide (CO2) in a deep geologic formation. The Request for Proposals (RFP) describes the site requirements including site access, ownership, CO2 storage potential, and other related issues. Based on the responses to the RFP and using the selection process described in the RFP, the Alliance will identify candidate sites for the FutureGen facility. After the conclusion of the Department of Energy’s National Environmental Policy Act compliance process, the Alliance expects to select a preferred host site. For the host site, the Alliance will determine the final design for the power plant and the specifications for safe and permanent CO2 storage based on the specific characteristics of the selected site. Proposals submitted in response to the RFP must be received by the Alliance no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 4, 2006. Download the RFP at: http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/futuregen/futuregen_siting_final_rfp_3-07- 2006.pdf. Also see http://www.futuregenalliance.org/news.stm for more information, including RFP amendments. March 8, 2006, http://www.fossil.energy.gov/news/techlines/2006/06016- Alliance_Seeks_FutureGen_Host_Site.html. May 2006 DOE Press Release, “US and India Sign Historic Agreement on FutureGen Project.” The US Department of Energy has announced that India is the first country to join the US on the government steering committee for the FutureGen Initiative. The agreement was signed by Department of Energy Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Jarrett on behalf of the United States, and on behalf of India, by Honorable R. V. Shahi, Secretary, India Ministry of Power. The signing followed President Bush’s March 2-4 trip to India, during which Indian Prime Minister Singh first announced the joint agreement on FutureGen. India’s participation in the $1 billion FutureGen project also builds upon the US-India Energy Dialogue that was launched in May 2005. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman has invited government members of the international Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF), a voluntary climate initiative that includes 20 developed and developing nations plus the European Commission, to become active participants in the FutureGen project. India is the first of the CSLF members to participate in FutureGen. April 3, 2006, http://www.energy.gov/news/3420.htm. June 2006 DOE Techline, “Twelve Sites Proposed for FutureGen Plant.” Secretary Samuel Bodman announced the 12 candidate sites for the FutureGen project that were submitted in response to the Request for Proposals, issued by the FutureGen Alliance (the Alliance). The announcement was made at the Fifth Annual Conference on Carbon Capture and Storage held in Alexandria, Virginia. The proposals would host the project in or near: 1. Effingham, Illinois; 2. Marshall, Illinois;