Navajo Transitional to Conduct DOE-Funded Carbon-Capture FEED Study

The Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) granted NTEC $6.55 million for a front-end engineering design (FEED) study to evaluate carbon capture and storage (CCS) at the Four Corners Power Plant (FCPP). Carbon capture would remove more than 95% of the CO₂ emissions at FCPP. In addition. Continued plant operation will save more than 600 jobs and preserve $183 million per year in the Navajo Nation, as well as bolster the regional power grid.

“NTEC is pleased to be working with OCED on the FEED study to advance carbon capture and storage in the United States,” said Vern Lund, NTEC’s Chief Executive Officer. “This study is an important next step in determining whether carbon capture is feasible at Four Corners Power Plant and can be commercially deployed at scale to reduce carbon emissions.”

The FEED study, to be completed in 2025, will assess the environmental, economic, and community impacts of installing carbon-capture technology at FCPP. An integrated study will select specifications for CO₂ capture, transport, and storage and, if CCS is deemed viable, NTEC will use amine-based, post-combustion carbon capture to remove CO₂ from flue gas and extend plant life beyond 2031. With this funding, OCED aims to de-risk CCS demonstrations and accelerate private sector follow-on investments for commercial-scale integrated demonstrations.

Four Corners Power Plant; Image Credits: Four Corners Economic Development

“Each year, Four Corners Power Plant and the Navajo Mine contribute more than 35% of the Navajo Nation’s total revenue and employ more than 500 Navajo tribal members,” said Lund. “We are excited by the opportunity to preserve these jobs and revenue for the Navajo Nation while reducing carbon emissions and maintaining the reliability of power supply in the region.”

DOE Carbon Reduction News

In August 2024, Calpine executed a cost-share agreement with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) OCED for the Sutter Decarbonization Project—a full-scale carbon-capture demonstration project at Calpine’s Sutter Energy Center. Calpine will begin Phase 1 of the DOE cooperative agreement, with additional phases planned upon successful completion.

The Sutter Decarbonization Project will capture up to 1.75 million metric tons of CO₂ annually. It is equipped with ION Clean Energy’s carbon-capture technology designed to capture 95% of CO₂ emissions, enabling the Center to produce firm, dispatchable, low-carbon electricity. Calpine selected ION’s technology due to its high-capture efficiency, solvent stability, low emissions, and low energy usage.

In March, the DOE granted $425 million in funding to support small- to medium-sized manufacturers in current and former coal communities producing and recycling clean-energy products. This is an effort to reduce industrial emissions and increase clean-energy manufacturing. The new program is financed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—AMRG—and managed by the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains. AMRG also financially supports the decarbonization of modern or retired facilities in coal communities.

The DOE divided its investment themes into the following categories: Clean Energy Manufacturing and Recycling (funded during the 2023 investment round) and Industrial Decarbonization.

• Clean Energy Manufacturing and Recycling: This theme’s goal is to establish, re-equip, or expand current manufacturing and recycling facilities for the production or recycling of advanced energy.
• Industrial Decarbonization: A new theme in this round of funding, Industrial Decarbonization is centered around building or upgrading manufacturing facilities to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create low-carbon materials.