On Sept. 24, the Bridge initiative for Science and Technology Policy, Leadership, and Communications hosted a virtual kick-off meeting for their new science and technology policy study on carbon dioxide removal.
The aim of CDR is to remove existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using land management strategies, accelerated weathering, bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration, and direct air capture and sequestration. CDR presents potentially important economic and policy opportunities for West Virginia.
President Gee welcomed the group of more than a dozen faculty and staff members with expertise in CDR and related areas from Chambers, Davis, Eberly, and Statler Colleges, the Law School, the Energy Institute and the Extension Services. This was followed by an overview on CDR opportunities and challenges from Managing Principal for Energy Futures Initiative, Joseph Hezir and remarks from WVU Vice President for Research Fred King.
Bridge Initiative Director Joan Centrella and Study Director Deborah Stine outlined the scope of the project, organizational goals and projected timetable for developing policy options for CDR. The project will consider strategies that reduce climate variation, increase economic opportunities and create new jobs for West Virginians by focusing on four specific areas of opportunity:
Working Group 1: Science and technology
Eddie Brzostek, Shikha Sharma and Sam Taylor, co-chairs
Working Group 2: Economic opportunities
John Deskins, chair
Working Group 3: Ecology, environment and conservation
Dave McGill, chair
Working Group 4: Opportunities and challenges for economically-disadvantaged communities
Jamie Shinn, chair
These working groups will meet throughout the fall to establish the foundation for the guide. During that time, the Bridge Initiative will also convene meetings with stakeholders to garner key inputs for the study.
Starting in the winter and continuing into the spring of 2022, the team will hold briefings with federal and state policymakers, as well as stakeholder roundtables, to receive additional inputs and to prioritize policy options. The faculty and staff will then meet in the late spring to develop their recommendations. The release of the policymaker guide is projected for the summer of 2022.
The CDR project comes on the heels of the Bridge Initiative’s inaugural study on the Waters of West Virginia, which was carried out during the past year. This policymaker guide is currently in production and will be available later this fall.
For more information or if interested in participating in a stakeholder roundtable, email scitechpolicy@mail.wvu.edu. Follow @WVU_STPolicy on Twitter for updates.