White House Forms Interagency Task Force on CO2 Capture and Storage
On February 3, President Obama established an Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).  Its goal is to develop a comprehensive and coordinated federal strategy to speed the commercial development and deployment of clean coal technologies.  The Task Force, cochaired by representatives from the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, is charged with proposing a plan to overcome the barriers to widespread, cost-effective deployment of CCS within ten years, with a goal of bringing five to ten commercial demonstration projects online by 2016.  The cochairs will report progress periodically to the President through Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.  The Task Force's plan is due to the President in August 2010.  The Task Force held a public meeting on May 6 in Washington, D.C.  EPRI's Jeff Phillips was invited to speak on a panel on CO₂ capture, and John Novak participated in the public forum.