NASEO and DOE Lead Delegation of State Energy Officials to Tour Iceland’s Direct Air Carbon Capture, Storage, and Geothermal Sites

From July 9 - 12, 2024, NASEO, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, led a delegation of nine State Energy Officials on an educational site tour of Iceland's direct air carbon capture (DAC), carbon dioxide (CO2) storage, hydrogen, and geothermal. Over the course of the four-day trip, State Energy Officials explored the Climeworks Orca and Mammoth DAC facilities and a Carbfix CO2 injection site; met with the Icelandic Ministry of Environment, Energy, and Climate; and had in-depth discussions with multiple companies innovatively deploying new carbon management, geothermal, and hydrogen projects in Iceland.

This visit helped states increase their understanding of different energy technologies and provided a forum for state-international information exchange on RD&D, supportive policies, and public-private partnerships. States are better equipped to explore different technical applications for DAC and storage, including linkages with geothermal, and have established new relationships with other states, DOE, and key Icelandic government officials and industry representatives. Additionally, this visit served as a base for stronger collaboration between Iceland and U.S. states; further integration of DAC, CO2 storage, etc. into state policy, programs, and plans; and additional NASEO activities and resource development (including a DAC issue brief).