Dr. Jen Wilcox serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM). Dr. Wilcox, an expert in carbon capture, authored the seminal textbook 'Carbon Capture' in 2012. Currently on leave as the presidential distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, she also serves as a senior fellow at the World Resources Institute, leading their carbon removal program.
In this conversation, we dive into Dr. Wilcox's transition from academia to the Department of Energy and explore the changing mandates under the Biden and Harris Administration. Key topics include direct air capture technologies, underground sequestration, and CO2 storage. The episode also touches on point source capture, technology advancements, tax credits, and incentives for carbon capture, including the extension of 45Q tax credits. Dr. Wilcox provides insights into the commercialization progress for carbon capture, market evolution, and the recent FECM carbon dioxide removal purchase pilot prize.
The discussion covers the power and heat requirements of direct air capture (DAC) and point source capture, along with solutions for reducing atmospheric levels of other greenhouse gases, including methane. This is a jam-packed episode that at times, hits topics at a macro level and at other times swoops down deep into technical descriptions of DAC chemistries. Whether you're exploring a career in carbon capture or actively developing technology solutions, there's something for everyone in this episode.
In this episode, we cover:
- [04:13]: Origins of Dr. Wilcox's 2012 book, Carbon Capture
- [06:16]: Progress of carbon capture technology over the past decade
- [12:32]: The transition from the Office of Fossil Energy to the Fossil Energy and Carbon Management
- [24:32]: Overview of direct air capture technologies and chemistries
- [32:29] Comparison of liquid vs solid sorbents for direct air capture
- [37:37]: Description of EPA's well classification system
- [44:36]: Point source capture and the state of carbon capture tech for industrial emissions
- [53:00]: Extension of 45Q tax credits to incentivize carbon capture
- [56:21]: DOE's first carbon dioxide removal purchase pilot
- [58:34]: Considerations around power needs for direct air capture
- [01:02:10]: Tech for direct air capture of methane and other non-CO2 GHGs
- [01:05:28]: Dr. Wilcox’s parting words on the need to rapidly scale up durable carbon removal solutions
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Episode recorded on Oct 24, 2023 (Published on Nov 27, 2023)
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
