Study: Carbon Capture Costs Drop

The S&L findings, which were made public June 27, 2019 at a United States Energy Association briefing, estimate the cost of CO2 capture to range from $39 to $43 per metric ton, a significant decrease from the last major carbon capture retrofit at the Petra Nova facility in Texas. Given these cost estimates, the $1.3 billion cost to retrofit SJGS can be financed entirely with newly revamped Internal Revenue Code Section 45Q tax credits and will not burden SJGS with additional operating costs.

From Enchant Energy:

July 8, 2019

Enchant Energy Corporation (“Enchant Energy”) announces the publication of a Sargent & Lundy (“S&L”) engineering report on the feasibility of a
carbon capture retrofit project at San Juan Generating Station (“SJGS”) in New Mexico. The full report can be downloaded from the Enchant Energy website at https://www.enchantenergy.com/.

Subject to the approval of the City of Farmington (“Farmington”), Enchant Energy will acquire a 95% ownership interest in the 847 megawatt SJGS to coincide with the planned retirement and abandonment of the facility by its current owners, other than Farmington, on July 1, 2022. “The results of this study are a significant milestone towards successful implementation of our project and the numerous positive benefits that we envision will follow,” said Jason Selch, Enchant Energy CEO. “This project will demonstrate that it is possible to comply with stringent CO2
emissions standards for electricity generation using carbon capture utilization and storage technology while providing high-paying jobs and maintaining state and local taxes that are so vital to the northwest region of New Mexico.”

The S&L findings, which were made public June 27, 2019 at a United States Energy Association briefing, estimate the cost of CO2 capture to range from $39 to $43 per metric ton, a significant decrease from the last major carbon capture retrofit at the Petra Nova facility in Texas. Given these
cost estimates, the $1.3 billion cost to retrofit SJGS can be financed entirely with newly revamped Internal Revenue Code Section 45Q tax credits and will not burden SJGS with additional operating costs.

The report finds that the carbon capture retrofit would result in a 90% decrease in CO2 emissions at SJGS, a figure compliant with the recently enacted New Mexico Energy Transition Act’s CO2 emission standard. As a result, SJGS would be able to operate economically beyond June 30, 2022, saving over 400 jobs, while continuing to produce highly reliable, low-priced, low-emissions and low-carbon baseload power at no additional cost to consumers.

Read the Report here:

More from Local News

  • Lauren Laws Named Interim Superintendent for Aztec Schools

    For 15 years, Lauren Laws has dedicated her career to Aztec Schools, beginning as a Special Education teacher in 2008. In 2010 she transitioned to General Education, where she spent six years in the classroom working with 4th and 5th graders at Park Avenue Elementary while completing work on her Master's Degree. During her tenure at Park Avenue Elementary, she also served a Lead Teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Lauren has spent the past three years serving as the Associate Superintendent of Teaching and Learning for the district.

  • Durango Picks Brice Current to be New Police Chief

    Brice Current was a former narcotics agent with the San Juan County Sheriff's Office in Aztec, NM. He was hired as Durango's Deputy Police Chief in 2019.

  • Waterflow Fire Kills 1

     Crews arrived to find a camp trailer on fire and one occupant still inside. Another occupant was transported to the hospital with minor injuries and has since been released. Despite a quick response from fire crews, one occupant was found dead in the trailer after the fire was extinguished.  The name of the deceased is not yet released. 

  • Farmington Schools Hires first Armed Campus Safety Monitor

     The FMS Board of Education authorized school security personnel to carry firearms on school premises during their January 9, 2024, meeting. The move paved the way for the hiring of Armed Campus Safety Monitors (ACSMs), former certified law enforcement officers tasked with providing an additional layer of protection for students and staff during emergencies.

  • City Breaks Ground on Pinon Hills Extension

    Farmington Officials gathered with representatives from the NM Department of Transportation and San Juan County to break ground on the long-anticipated Pinon Hills Boulevard Extension Project. San Juan County announced that design work on their section of the project is 90% completed.

  • Back to Bloomfield: Summers Selected as New Superintendent

    Kevin Summers will be returning to the Bloomfield School District as Superintendent, after the retirement of Dr. Kim Mizell at the end of the current school year. Summers' hire makes an opening in the Superintendent's Office in Aztec where he has served for the past three years.

On KSJE Now:

Today's Weather

  • Farmington, NM

    Sunny intervals

    High: 68°F | Low: 43°F

  • Durango, CO

    Sunny intervals

    High: 66°F | Low: 39°F

  • Shiprock, NM

    Sunny intervals

    High: 70°F | Low: 46°F

  • Cortez, CO

    Thundery shower

    High: 66°F | Low: 39°F

  • Santa Fe, NM

    Sunny intervals

    High: 66°F | Low: 39°F