Google’s bets on carbon capture power plants, which have a mixed record

Google has announced plans to invest in a new natural gas power plant located in Illinois, which aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions through advanced capture technology. This 400-megawatt facility will be situated near Decatur, adjacent to an ethanol plant operated by Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), which is already engaged in carbon dioxide capture from its processes. The tech giant will procure most of the electricity generated by this power plant to support its nearby data centers, while ADM will utilize some of the steam and electricity produced. The project is being developed by Low Carbon Infrastructure, with Google targeting an ambitious goal to capture approximately 90% of the carbon dioxide emitted by the plant. The captured CO2 will be injected into geological formations that are currently used by ADM’s ethanol facility for long-term storage. This site is notable as it houses the first long-term CO2 storage well in the United States, which typically receives about 2,000 metric tons of CO2 daily. However, operations were halted in 2024 when an issue arose concerning the migration of salty brine into unauthorized zones, as reported by the EPA. ADM attributed the incident to corrosion at a monitoring well, but injections have since resumed. While carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology holds promise for reducing emissions from fossil fuel power plants, its performance has been inconsistent. A recent analysis of 13 CCS facilities, accounting for 55% of all captured carbon, indicated that many are not meeting their performance expectations. For instance, a facility operated by ExxonMobil in Wyoming has fallen short, capturing 36% less carbon than anticipated. Similarly, a comparable 115-megawatt power plant in Canada has managed to capture only about half of its promised output. Though CCS can mitigate some pollution associated with burning natural gas, it does not address the issue of methane leaks found throughout the natural gas supply chain. Methane is a significantly more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2, with a warming potential 84 times greater over a 20-year period. Consequently, even a small leakage rate can drastically alter carbon accounting. When natural gas is burned without mitigation, it can produce emissions comparable to those of coal. While capturing carbon can reduce overall emissions, it cannot entirely negate the environmental impact of extracting and transporting natural gas.