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Utility-Scale Carbon CaptureProjects in the United StatesThe prospect that any of the utility scale carbon captureprojects in the United States survives to completionremains uncertain. However, a Canadian project beganoperation in 2014, the only other large-scale carbon captureproject in North America. In many ways the Canadianproject is similar to the four US projects on the table. Runby SaskPower in Saskatchewan, Boundary Dam startedas a larger project. In the end it was a 110 megawatt coal(lignite) plant retrofit. The Canadian government provided$240 million in funding for a 300 megawatt plant, althoughSaskpower was able to keep the full subsidy. The provincialgovernment is also providing financial support. Most ofthe CO2 scrubbed from smokestacks is used to increaseoil extraction, which Saskpower is selling for about $25million per year under a 10-year contract. 46 Boundary Damis one tenth the size of the average new coal plant project,but it is hailed by CCS proponents globally as the firstcompleted carbon capture project that is a power plant. 47significant public funding – in one case more than theconstruction cost of the plant if guaranteed loans areincluded. The US projects are also significantly smallerthan the average new coal plant. Cost overruns are typical,often scandalously high. While these projects all receivepublic subsidies to keep CO2 from entering the atmosphere,paradoxically all of them would sell the scrubbedCO2 to the oil extraction industry.At the Kemper plant in Mississippi, Southern Companywould earn $50 million to $100 million annually sellingbyproducts, mostly the captured CO2. 48paradoxically all of them would sell thescrubbed CO2 to the oil extraction industry.Carbon Capture Scam Chapter: 1Like Boundary Dam, all four US projects are receivingKemper County Energy Facility (Southern Company)Location: MississippiPlant type: new, coal (lignite); pre-combustion CO2captureElectricity generation capacity: 582 megawattsCO2 target capture rate: 65%CO2 fate: oil extractionOriginal cost: $2 billionCurrent cost estimate: $6.1 billionPublic funding: $4.23 billionDOE grant – $270 millionFederal tax credits – $133 millionRatepayers – $2.88 billionSecuritized bonds – $1 billion approved by the MississippiPublic Service CommissionStatus: Under construction, currently due for completionin first half of 2016. Project initiated in 2007 in Florida,but moved to Mississippi in 2008 due to cost concerns.Construction began in 2010 and completion has beendelayed several times. The Mississippi Supreme Courtruled in February 2015 that some of the rate hikes mustbe refunded, further threatening the project’s viability. 49Texas Clean Energy Project (Summit Power Group)Location: TexasPlant type: new, coal (sub-bituminous, Powder RiverBasin); pre-combustion CO2 captureElectricity generation capacity: 400 megawattsCO2 target capture rate: 90%CO2 fate: oil extractionOriginal cost: $1.7 billionCurrent cost estimate: $2.5 billionPublic Funding: $2.787 billionDOE grant – $450 millionOther federal grants and tax credits – $637 millionState tax incentives – $100 millionChina Export-Import Bank – $1.6 billion (loans) 50Local government grant – $5 million 51Status: In planning stages, and estimated to be operationalin 2019. Initiated in 2011. TCEP was supposed to becompleted in 2014. 52Page 9