Washington & Jefferson College Hosts March 7 Webinar On The Future Of Carbon Capture

The Washington & Jefferson College’s Center for Energy Policy and Management in Washington County will host a free webinar Thursday, March 7, on the basics of carbon capture and direct air capture as part of its Energy Lecture Series starting at 11:00 a.m.

“The Future of Carbon Capture,” will be led by Dr. Dave Luebke, technical director of the Direct Air Capture Center at the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh.

Dr. Leubke will explain the basics of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and how both point-source CCS and direct air capture (DAC) can help the U.S. reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2) atmospheric levels. 

He will also discuss the NETL’s Direct Air Capture Center on its Pittsburgh campus, a recent initiative by the federal government to support the development of carbon capture. 

The Center was established in 2023 to jumpstart DAC technologies and accelerate the commercialization of DAC technologies beyond the conceptual stage.

CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities by burning fossil fuels and contributes to global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere. 

Technologies are being developed that can capture CO2 from industrial emissions at their source, from transportation and from other activities directly from the atmosphere. 

The captured CO2 is then stored deep underground in geologic formations or used to make other products. The technology, while promising, needs rapid technological advancement and cost reduction.

Dr. Luebke holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. He spent 12 years as a carbon capture researcher at the NETL before leaving in 2014 for entrepreneurial ventures. Since then, he has founded two successful companies. 

He is the author of more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and an inventor on 11 patents. 

Last year, he began serving as technical director of NETL’s Direct Air Capture Center.

The webinar is approved for Continuing Legal Education in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. 

For more information, contact the Washington County Bar Association at wcba@washcobar.org. 

            Click Here to register and for more information.  Questions should be directed to: Linda Ritzer at lritzer@washjeff.edu. 

            Visit the Washington & Jefferson College’s Center for Energy Policy and Management webpage for more information on programs and initiatives.

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[Posted: March 3, 2024]  PA Environment Digest