Recent News
Abby Lunstrum has a quote in the Washington Post We may be able to trap climate pollution in ordinary rocks
Abby Lunstrum, a University of Pennsylvania research associate not involved in the study, said the paper is “an important addition” to the growing field of research aiming to enhance the natural process of geological weathering. But she questioned how efficient the technology would be at scale with impure batches of rock. “This isn’t a silver bullet,” she said. “No technology is, unfortunately.” Ongoing work in the CECL, including lifecycle assessment and techno-economic analysis of similar technologies, strives to highlight which technologies make the most sense to deploy in specific locations.
Pennsylvania's Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Ladder for Industrial Decarbonization
Shelvey Swett, Max Pisciotta, Hélène Pilorgé, Shrey Patel, and Jen Wilcox are publishing again about industrial decarbonization strategies! After presenting the broad picture of carbon capture and storage (CCS) prioritization in the United States (US CCS ladder: https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/blog/u-s-ccs-ladder-for-industrial-decarbonization/), the CECL now investigates the specific case of Pennsylvania, as the state is funding multiple decarbonization projects. This recent blog post (PA CCS ladder: https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/blog/rising-toward-a-cleaner-future-pennsylvanias-ccs-ladder-for-industrial-decarbonization/) takes a look at decarbonization strategies, with details on the state’s top industry: steel.
Abby Lunstrum and Hélène Pilorgé attended the AGU 2024 conference, the largest gathering of geologists in the world
Hélène presented on carbon management in Nevada, the collaborative work done with Max, Likhwa, Shrey, Pete, Jen, and the Nevada chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC). These 3 years of research have led us to explore the deployment of carbon management solutions specific to Nevada from technical, social, and environmental perspectives and using different tools and approaches: systems modeling with Aspen, mapping with ArcGIS, and meetings with stakeholders in the state, including listening sessions with tribes, community meetings, and meetings with local agencies. For more information, please contact Hélène.
Abby presented results from experimental research on ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) in coastal sediments, a collaborative project with researchers at University of Southern California. By mimicking natural geologic weathering, OAE uses alkalinity to convert CO2 to dissolved bicarbonate that can be safely stored in seawater. The geologic record and ocean models indicate that OAE is a promising pathway for highly scalable carbon dioxide removal, but experimental and observational data are still needed to confirm its safety and efficiency. Abby’s work quantifies potential efficiency losses at coastal OAE deployments, due to seawater-sediment interactions. For more information, please contact Abby.
Dr. Jennifer Wilcox named one of the most influential people, putting her on the Time100 Climate list!
Dr. Wilcox's contributions as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management at the U.S. Department of Energy, illustrates the reshaping from the former Office of Fossil Energy. The shift represented a re-alignment of the Executive Branch toward working with the energy industry on carbon reduction.
Upcoming Events
Penn Energy Week is February 10th - 14th 2025.
Check in with the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy for updates and events.
Other Awards and Recognitions
Congratulations to Dr. Max Pisciotta for their recent graduation with a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Penn in 2024!
Congratulations to Dr. Katherine Vaz Gomes for successfully defending her dissertation in 2024 at Penn!
