Study On The Legal Institution Of Carbon Capture And Storage In The United States

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a process consisting of the separation of CO2 from industrial and energy-related sources, transport to a storage location and long-term isolation from the atmosphere.CCS is one of the major technical means of the international response to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. This technology can achieve near-zero emissions of carbon dioxide in the utilization of fossil energy, and provide a possible strategic technology choice for a relatively short time large-scale to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.CCS is conducive to preventing global warming and ensuring national energy security. However, the practice in CCS is confronted with two serious challenges that is how to reduce the cost to achieve commercial operation and how to averse the risk caused by itself,especially environmental impact.As result, it becomes a consensus that to promoting the commercial operation and averse the environmental risk through legal means in the practice of CCS of all countries around the world.The United States is on leadership position of CCS technology, and leads to the legislation of carbon capture and storage of the country. The United States is not only accumulated certain experience, but also formed a relatively mature legal institution.In the perspective of CCS practice, China is later than the United States. In 2013,the National Development and Reform Commission formally took the CCS technology into the development plan. However, China has no law on commercial operation and environmental circumvention.There is no doubt that China can draw lessons from the legislative practice of the CCS in the United States, on the basis of combining the national conditions of China, these experiences are conducive to realizing the legislation of CCS in China more scientific, and improving our ability of tackling climate change and ensuring energy security.This thesis aims to study on the legal institution of carbon capture and storage in the United States, to sum the experiences of legislation on carbon capture and storage in the United States, and to put forward suggestions of perfecting the institution design of carbon capture and storage for our country. Firstly, the article mainly introduces the historical evolution of the legislation of carbon capture and storage in the United States,and points out that the legislation of carbon capture and storage is an important component of the climate change policy in the United States. Secondly, the article indicates that American attach importance to environmental protection and energy security through summarizing the legislation and other relevant provisions of carbon capture and storage in the United States.Thirdly, the article makes comments on the legal institution of carbon capture and storage in the United States,and points out the advantages and disadvantages. Finally, the article expounds the current situation of technology regulation of carbon capture and storage in China,and puts forward some suggestions on the design of specific institution of carbon capture and storage in China trough learning the experiences of the legal institution of carbon capture and storage in the United States.