Arizona Advances Clean Energy Future with Carbon Management Initiative

Coal-fired power generation, once an economic backbone of the Farmington, NM economy, faces an uncertain future. The San Juan Generating Station has ceased operations and is undergoing demolition. Operators of the Four Corners Generating Station have closed 3 of the 5 units with the remaining 2 to be closed in 2031. Across the border in St. Johns and Springerville, AZ, coal plant operators have announced plans to re-fire with natural gas before the end of the decade. Continuing use of coal and natural gas in energy generation means continued emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the most abundant greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.

There is, however, the option to maintain these sources of electricity generation and local jobs and capture harmful emissions using technologies including direct air capture and point-source capture. But, there will need to be a place to securely store captured carbon dioxide to prevent it from reaching the atmosphere now or in the future. To support this solution, the Carbon Utilization and Storage Partnership (CUSP) Four Corners Regional Initiative is evaluating CO2 sequestration sites in Arizona and New Mexico for technologies that remove carbon dioxide from the air or from the gas and coal plants that emit them. These efforts are part of a broader initiative to develop a regional Carbon Management Hub on the Colorado Plateau, which will provide long-term solutions for reducing carbon pollution while supporting local economies.

Arizona State University (ASU) is playing a key role in this initiative, building on the existing projects it is leading in collaboration with many regional partners. ASU was the recipient of funding from the Department of Energy to develop a Southwest Regional Direct Air Capture Hub to unlock social, economic, and workforce opportunities for the Four Corners area.  

The CUSP project will be adding to this success. ASU will be assessing economic scenarios for the deployment of carbon management technologies on the power generating stations. In collaboration with New Mexico Tech, these scenarios will help assess economic and workforce opportunities for the Four Corners area.

Dr. Lackner, professor at Arizona State University and inventor of Direct Air Capture technology, said “there are many opportunities to make the energy economy of the Southwest carbon neutral. It is important to figure out the economics of the various options”. This information will lead to a clean energy infrastructure.

Whether the carbon is captured straight from the air or from the chimney stack of the powerplants, it will be stored deep underground. ASU’s close partner, the Arizona Geological Survey, will be characterizing the rocks of the proposed reservoir.

ASU will be providing support to partners in New Mexico Tech and the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the development of monitoring, verification, and accounting (MVA) protocols and risk analyzes to ensure the carbon is safely stored. The team will work with industry partners to advance on those goals.

Dr. Stephanie Arcusa, assistant professor at Arizona State University and the lead on CUSP for ASU, noted that “carbon storage can be made safe by a careful site selection process combined with advanced monitoring techniques, risk assessments, and emergency preparation.”

This initiative brings together academic institutions, national laboratories, and energy industry leaders to explore sustainable pathways for the region. By advancing carbon capture and storage, Arizona is positioning itself at the forefront of clean energy innovation while ensuring economic stability for affected communities.