The potential and cost of carbon dioxide removal using direct air capture with land-based wind and utility-scale photovoltaics

Rapid deployment of direct air capture and storage (DACS) is essential for meeting net-zero emission targets and requires accurate assessment of both the scale and cost of carbon dioxide removal. This analysis, focused on land, renewable electricity, and geologic CO2 storage availability within the United States, estimates a technical potential capacity for low-temperature, adsorbent DACS of approximately 9 gigatonnes of CO2 per year. Much of this removal could be accomplished at costs between $200–250 per tonne of CO2, depending on the scale and location of the facility, and the associated storage costs. High-potential regions were identified in West Texas, the Rocky Mountains, and Alaska, among others. In the near term, DACS deployment will identify critical research areas for technology improvement to reduce the cost of carbon removal; simultaneously, there is a need for scientifically guided and rigorous standards for DACS monitoring, reporting, and verification across existing and emerging DACS technologies and energy sources.