Louisiana Decision Support Tool
Explore the social and environmental factors considered for building carbon management projects in Louisiana.
Introduction
Welcome!
Carbon management is one of many valuable strategies for reducing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from industry, power, and the atmosphere. In our collective efforts to combat the climate crisis across the United States, it's essential to use carbon management technologies thoughtfully and consider their impact on local communities.
This StoryMap contains the Louisiana Decision Support Tool for carbon management (Decision Support Tool). The Decision Support Tool is a public resource that includes three interactive maps that allow users to view the social, environmental, and comprehensive factors that communities, state, local and tribal governments, project developers, and other stakeholders can consider when discussing carbon management projects. The Decision Support Tool does not grant approval for project development. Its purpose is to inform meaningful discussions to ensure community input is heard and valued and projects are thoughtfully located.
This tool provides everyone an opportunity to engage in the decision-making process related to our country’s energy transition and is the first to consider both affected communities and natural environments when evaluating the responsible growth of carbon management projects.
These maps will help you review the potential social and environmental impacts of a carbon management project, as well as identify development locations that would generate the fewest negative impacts and maximize positive outcomes. We also customized the tool to reflect the preferences and priorities of the people of Louisiana, learned through a public outreach process. Learn more about how we engaged community members and incorporated their feedback into the creation of this tool in our outreach section .
Compare GPI's Louisiana Decision Support Tool to EJ Screen, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) environmental justice screening tool, and the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.
While other tools offer valuable socioeconomic data, the Decision Support Tool goes further, offering a comprehensive view of social and environmental factors. It equips users with a complete understanding of project considerations and potential regulatory challenges.
Tool creators
The Great Plains Institute (GPI) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that accelerates the transition to net-zero carbon emissions for the benefit of people, the economy, and the environment.
The Carbon Action Alliance is an initiative of the Great Plains Institute that brings together a diverse set of stakeholders working to inform the public about carbon management opportunities, address decarbonization challenges, support project deployment, and benefit communities.
We would like your feedback on the content in this StoryMap. Comments can be provided on the tool by clicking on the Get involved heading in the navigation bar at the top of this page. The StoryMap will be updated as new information becomes available.
How to navigate
This webpage has eleven sections. Navigate through these sections by clicking on the section headers located at the top, scrolling up and down, or using the scroll bar on the right-hand side. View more resources by clicking on the underlined links throughout the webpage. For more information on how to use the StoryMap, watch this video tutorial or click the user guides located in the interactive maps. For optimal user experience, interactive maps should be viewed in a desktop browser.
If you're familiar with carbon management and Louisiana’s background and want to access the tool, click on one of the three links below to navigate to the interactive maps.
Carbon Management
What is carbon management?
Carbon dioxide, or CO 2 , is a clear gas that occurs naturally in small amounts in the Earth’s atmosphere. Humans and animals breathe out CO 2 every day, and it is essential to plant life. However, CO 2 is also produced by burning fossil fuels in the manufacturing, industry, and transportation sectors, and in electricity generation at natural gas or coal–fired power plants. Human activity has released too much CO 2 into the atmosphere, and these excessive gases have led to the climate change crisis we are experiencing today. Carbon capture, removal, transport, reuse, and storage technologies, collectively referred to as “ carbon management ", are safe, effective, and increasingly cost-effective technologies used to manage, reduce, and remove CO 2 emissions from industrial facilities and power plants to prevent them from entering the atmosphere.
Learn more about what carbon management projects look like, their benefits, and safety by reading our Carbon management deep dive .
Louisiana
Louisiana is an ideal carbon capture and storage location, with pre-existing infrastructure, geological potential, and well-established regulations. Many power, industrial, and direct air capture companies have expressed interest or announced projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions in the state. This interest from project developers has led to many questions from Louisiana communities about project locations and regulations. GPI chose Louisiana for the first iteration of the Decision Support Tool to help answer these questions and support informed decision-making in Louisiana's carbon management initiatives.
Climate goals and regulations
Louisiana has recognized that carbon capture can help meet its climate goals. In 2022, Governor John Bel Edwards’ Climate Initiatives Task Force approved the state’s first-ever Climate Action Plan , recognizing carbon management's critical role in addressing high-intensity and hard-to-abate emissions that will be necessary to reach net zero. The state has regulations for the injection, reuse, and storage of CO 2 , a process for long-term stewardship of CO 2 , and a trust fund to manage and monitor the stored CO 2 . In 2023, the state passed legislation to notify parishes about CO 2 storage well applications and give them additional revenue from projects. In late 2023, the EPA approved Louisiana's application for Class VI primacy to regulate underground CO 2 storage. The state's regulations now match or surpass the EPA's standards. This development positions Louisiana to efficiently process permit applications for CO 2 storage projects, providing another reason for project operators to be interested in locating in the state.
Existing infrastructure
Louisiana has many industrial projects producing concentrated CO 2 emissions, making the state an excellent candidate for climate solutions like carbon management. Many of these facilities are large enough to qualify for the Section 45Q carbon capture tax credit, which provides funds to companies creating carbon storage projects. The state also has existing pipeline infrastructure and rights-of-way for carbon transport—which reduces the need to build new infrastructure—and oil and gas operators and a labor force with the knowledge to make carbon capture projects work. In the map below are facilities in Louisiana that are eligible for federal funding.
Facilities in Louisiana that are eligible for federal funding
Geologic potential
The state also has excellent underground geology for storing CO 2 . Louisiana has the potential to store 802 billion metric tons of CO 2 in secure geologic saline formations. These formations are located several thousand feet below the surface, providing a secure and stable long-term storage environment. The map above shows how over three-fourths of Louisiana has geology suitable for CO 2 storage. Louisiana has recognized that carbon capture can help meet its climate goals and passed legislation to help support carbon management within the state. The state has regulations for the injection, reuse, and storage of CO 2 , a process for long-term stewardship of CO 2 , and a trust fund to manage and monitor the stored CO 2 .
Audience
Everyone, including communities, government, industry, and NGOs, can use the Decision Support Tool to learn about carbon management and develop a common understanding of the complexities that must be addressed to responsibly locate and build projects. This includes environmental and legal barriers and community input and engagement processes.
Community organizations and the public
The Decision Support Tool will provide communities with the same information about carbon management technologies that project developers and the government have, as well as insight into the process of locating, regulating, and building projects. The tool provides users with the opportunity to understand and be involved in the decisions that will determine the energy future of their neighborhood.
Industry and state, local, and tribal regulators
The tool can provide insight into the community values throughout the state, ensuring that industry members and government regulators recognize community priorities before reaching out to begin project discussions. The Decision Support Tool does not grant approval for project development. Its purpose is to facilitate meaningful discussions to ensure community input is valued and projects are thoughtfully located.
Non-profit organizations and higher education
This tool can help non-profit organizations and those in higher education working with communities and industry in Louisiana show the intersections between environmental justice, community engagement, and environmental and legal constraints for carbon management. Groups can access this information and use it as an opportunity to proactively provide resources and research to help communities across Louisiana with the topics most important to them related to the energy transition.
Social map
The Social map allows you to view different social categories across Louisiana. When locating a carbon management project, it is important to consider environmental justice to ensure that marginalized communities are not disproportionately burdened with negative environmental impacts.
According to the EPA, environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
The Social map includes five main categories. Each of these main categories contains between three and 12 sub-categories. The sub-category scores show the social factor as a percentile (1–100%). A higher percentage reflects the presence of a more affected population, indicating a higher level of constraint for locating a project. For example, if a census tract has a sub-category score of 75% for heart disease, that indicates that the rate of heart disease in that census tract is higher than in 75% of the other census tracts in Louisiana. The scores are shown at the census tract level to match the resolution of the data.
A census tract is a geographic area used by the US Census Bureau for the purpose of collecting and tabulating detailed demographic and socioeconomic data. Census tracts are typically designed to contain between 1,200 and 8,000 people.
Within an individual category tab, you can examine maps of all the scored sub-categories as well as the original measurements behind the scores. The categories and sub-categories displayed in the Social map can be viewed in this table .
Click on the link below to open the interactive map in a new tab. For optimal user experience, interactive maps should be viewed in a desktop browser. To get started, open the User Guide in the upper right corner.
Environmental map
The Environmental map allows users to view different environmental categories across Louisiana. When locating a carbon management project, project developers and the state must consider several environmental factors to ensure that the project is safe, environmentally responsible, and socially acceptable. Additionally, by carefully considering environmental factors during project planning, developers can avoid costly delays, litigation, and other challenges that can arise if these factors are not considered. State and federal environmental laws and regulations are intended to strategically protect our vulnerable and critical environmental resources. The relative level of protection afforded by these laws and regulations is a reasonable measure of environmental constraints to project siting and development.
The Environmental map includes four main categories. Each category contains five to 36 sub-categories that are scored on a scale of 1 to 4. An area with a high environmental factor score would require an unusually long or expensive environmental permitting process, which corresponds to a higher level of protection prescribed by law or regulation. The scores are defined as follows:
- Score of 1 indicates a Least Risk of Environmental Sensitivities and Constraints. This score includes areas with minimal identified environmental constraints and/or with existing land uses or designations that are compatible with project development. These areas would present few or minimal environmental mitigation requirements and are least likely to result in project delays.
- Score of 2 indicates a Low to Moderate Risk of Environmental Sensitivities and Constraints. This score includes areas where development may encounter one or more environmental sensitivity areas or constraints that would require low to moderate permit complexity or mitigation costs. This category also includes areas in the Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) dataset that have an unknown land use designation or degree of restriction to development.
- Score of 3 indicates a High Risk of Environmental Sensitivities and Constraints. This score includes areas where project development is likely to encounter one or more environmental sensitivities or constraints that would substantially increase permitting complexity and could result in project delays and high mitigation costs.
- Score of 4 indicates Areas Presently Precluded by Law or Regulation. This score includes Areas where project development is presently prevented by federal, state, or provincial law, policy, or regulation, as well as areas where development would represent a “fatal flaw” likely to prevent successful project completion.
Within an individual category tab, users can examine maps of all the scored sub-categories as well as the original measurements behind the scores. The categories and sub-categories displayed in the Environmental map can be viewed in this table .
Click on the link below to open the interactive map in a new tab. For optimal user experience, interactive maps should be viewed in a desktop browser. To get started, open the User Guide in the upper right corner.
Comprehensive map
In this Comprehensive map, the user can turn on and off layers to view the final normalized (standardized) social factors, environmental factors, or the comprehensive factors scores. Cells that are gray in color represent areas that have scores less than 50, representing relatively few social and environmental constraints to project siting.
Users can use the “siting tool” to highlight an area of the map and see the combined scores within that area. This function is useful to compare siting alternatives. Users can also draw shapes around portions of the map to look at data in a custom area. Users can also upload their own shapefile (data layer) to the combined map to customize their experience and visualize their data alongside ours. The comprehensive map and its associated data can be downloaded and shared with others. Click on the user guide in the upper right-hand corner to get started.
Click on the link below to open the interactive map in a new tab. For optimal user experience, interactive maps should be viewed in a desktop browser. To get started, open the information icon in the upper right corner.
Methodology
Scoring metric used
We use state-based percentiles by census tract in the social map. A higher percentile reflects a higher level of vulnerability or risk. For the environmental map, we adopted a scoring method used by Western Electricity Coordinating Council ( WECC 2014 ) and customized it specifically to carbon management siting and to the state of Louisiana. This data is included in the comprehensive map.
Calculating category scores
The social map contains six tabs: one for each of the five categories and a final one that averages the category scores into an overall social factor score. The category score for a census tract is the average of the sub-category scores within that category. The overall social factor score is the average of the category scores. By default, all the category scores have equal value in the calculation of the overall social factor score before the community engagement meetings. Feedback from the community engagement meetings will be used to calculate a weighted average for the overall social factor score (potentially valuing some categories more highly than others) in the final decision-making support tool.
For the environmental map, each of the sub-categories was mapped and scored at the original data resolution. To calculate the category score, the layers were dissolved following the algorithm 4 > 1 > 3 > 2. Following this approach, areas that are precluded from development by law or regulation (score of 4) are always displayed followed by the highest environmental factor score. The exception is those areas that have existing land uses or designations that are compatible with project development (score of 1); those are displayed where they overlap areas with scores of 2 or 3, but not 4. Following the same algorithm, the overall social factor score was calculated from the four individual category scores.
The overall scores from social and environmental maps are combined in a comprehensive map to assist you in identifying areas with relatively few constraints to project development. However, to combine the outcomes from social and environmental analyses, we needed to standardize them to the same data resolution and range of scores.
The social factor scores were standardized by placing a 10-square-mile hexagonal grid over the overall social factor score layer and then calculating the average factor score within each grid cell. The range of scores was then normalized to a range of 0 to 100. The environmental factor scores were standardized by imposing the same 10-square-mile hexagonal grid over the overall environmental factor score layer and again calculating the average constraint score within each grid cell. The distribution of the average scores was used to assign state-based percentiles to each cell, which also normalized the scores from 0 to 100. The combined score is the average of the standardized social and environmental factor scores.
Data used
We used data layers from an existing environmental justice model (EPA’s Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool (EJScreen 2023 version) ), unweighted by population size. We used 29 data sources in the environmental map. These are described under Data Descriptions and Sources on the map.
Outreach
We partnered with local communities in Louisiana to create a tool that can help them decide if carbon management projects are right for their community. The work took place in three steps:
Create base tool. We combined environmental and social data to create an interactive tool and webpage (what you are reading) to help stakeholders understand what developers consider when building a carbon management project, including legal and regulatory barriers.
Stakeholder meetings. We met with community stakeholders in four meetings across Louisiana in communities located near potential carbon management project locations in May 2023 to share the tool and get feedback.
In collaboration with Franklin Associates, a local consulting group, we invited community members with diverse backgrounds to meetings in Baton Rouge, Kenner, Alexandria, and Sulphur, Louisiana. Every attendee was compensated for their participation. Throughout these meetings, we presented an overview of carbon management technologies and their effects on the environment and communities. We also showed how to use the Decision Support Tool, demonstrating how it can be used to examine different areas of Louisiana. These presentations were followed by facilitated discussions from Franklin Associates on the values and concerns of the people living there.
In the draft version of the tool used during these sessions, we treated all factors in the social map as equally important. In these sessions, we asked participants for their thoughts on each of these social factors to understand if we had assigned the right importance to them.
Incorporate stakeholder feedback. Following the stakeholder meetings, we adjusted the weight of the social factors data based on participant feedback. For instance, we increased the importance assigned to the factor "proximity to environmental hazards," while reducing the weight for "public service gaps." This resulted in the tool placing even more importance on avoiding development in areas near environmental hazards. We also used the information gathered from stakeholder meetings to write a summary of community feedback recommendations on how to manage carbon emissions in a way that considers the community’s vision for a more resilient, low-carbon future. This information will be shared in a forthcoming report.
Get involved
The carbon management landscape is evolving in Louisiana, offering an important opportunity for community involvement. As a Louisiana resident, there are numerous ways for you to engage with the decision-making process and help determine what your energy future will look like.
Explore opportunities for continued learning. Stay informed about how carbon management technologies work, their potential community and worker benefits, and insight into health and safety considerations. You can do this by attending workshops, webinars, and conferences to expand your knowledge.
Participate in public meetings. Public meetings offer insights into the details and goals of carbon management projects in your community, helping you make informed decisions. Your presence allows you to voice concerns, ask questions, and provide feedback that can influence project design and impact. Participating empowers you to have a direct say in your community's energy future.
Engage in dialogue. Foster open and constructive dialogues with neighbors, stakeholders, and project developers to address concerns and find common ground on carbon management projects.
Advocate for policies. Engage with your local and state representatives to advocate for policies that support responsible carbon management initiatives. Your voice can influence decision-making at various levels of government.
Send us your feedback. We welcome your feedback on the Decision Support Tool’s design and functionality. Simply click here to complete a brief feedback form letting us know about your experience using the tool.
This feedback will be crucial in continuing to improve a tool that will provide recommendations for managing carbon emissions in a way that benefits the community. The Great Plains Institute regularly works with industry partners, as well as state and regional officials to help promote the responsible deployment of carbon management technologies in a manner than is sensitive to community needs. You can visit the Great Plains Institute's Carbon Action Alliance website to learn more about how to get involved or send feedback directly to carbonactionalliance@gpisd.net .
Carbon management deep dive
Carbon management stages
Carbon management projects typically occur in three stages: 1) modifying an existing industrial facility (carbon capture) or creation of a new carbon removal facility (direct air capture), 2) transporting CO 2 through an underground pipeline (CO 2 transport), and 3) reusing captured CO 2 for a different purpose or safely injecting it deep underground where it will be securely stored for thousands of years.
Carbon capture and direct air capture. Industrial and power facility emissions contain CO 2 . Before these facilities can capture this CO 2 , they must be modified with carbon capture technology. This technology separates CO 2 from other industrial or power plant emissions before it can enter the atmosphere.
In addition to carbon capture, direct air capture is a range of technologies that remove CO 2 directly from the atmosphere, where it has accumulated over centuries.
Carbon transport. Once a facility captures CO 2 through carbon capture or removes it directly from the air through direct air capture, the emissions are transported for reuse or storage to prevent them from being emitted back into the atmosphere. A CO 2 transport project will normally not be visible once it's constructed. That’s because the majority of pipelines carrying CO 2 are underground. Pipelines are the most efficient, cost-effective, and safest way to transport captured CO 2 and are the most common way to transport CO 2 in the United States. CO 2 pipelines have been operating throughout the country for more than half a century. In fact, there are currently 50 CO 2 pipelines spanning over 5,000 miles across the United States.
Carbon storage or reuse. After CO 2 has been transported, it is reused to produce low-carbon materials or fuels or securely stored deep underground in geologic formations. When CO 2 is injected underground, it gradually disperses and blends with other fluids or is stored in rock formations themselves. It remains underground in the layer where it was injected because of confining rock layers above that prevent the CO 2 from moving upward. Over time, the CO 2 can interact with the fluids in the formation and solidify.
A storage location might be marked by a drilling rig or other equipment used to inject CO 2 into the geological formation. Prior to injection, experts assess the stability of the storage location to ensure its safety. After injection, these storage sites are monitored consistently to ensure that the CO 2 stays underground and in place, out of the atmosphere and water resources.
North America’s CO 2 storage potential may be as high as an estimated 22 trillion metric tons, which could store nearly 3,500 years' worth of the United States’ CO 2 emissions. According to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, well-selected and managed geologic storage locations are likely to retain over 99% of injected CO 2 for over 1,000 years.
This technology can also be used to capture and remove excess carbon dioxide directly from the air. This captured CO 2 can be then reused to make valuable products or transported to appropriate places for geologic storage.
Why now?
Carbon management is one of many technologies needed to reduce the impacts of climate change. That’s why organizations around the world recognize the need for carbon management. The International Energy Agency estimates that the global carbon management industry will need to capture or remove 1.2 gigatons of CO 2 per year between now and 2030 to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and prevent the worst effects of climate change. That’s the equivalent of removing the annual carbon emissions from roughly 200 million cars from the air every year. Reaching this goal will require the world to add carbon capture to at least 10 new industrial or power facilities per month.
Carbon management will support other emission reduction strategies, like investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, when decarbonizing the industry, energy, and transportation sectors. But even if we switch to 100% renewable energy, making materials like cement and steel would still produce a lot of CO 2 . Incorporating carbon management into existing industrial and manufacturing processes allows them to become more sustainable, while still providing the necessary resources for all Louisianians.
Benefits of carbon management
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon management can reduce the amount of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere, which can help mitigate the impacts of climate change. Carbon management technologies can capture more than 90% of CO 2 emissions from power plants and industrial facilities. By capturing CO 2 emissions from industrial processes and storing them in geological formations, carbon management can prevent millions of tons of CO 2 from entering the atmosphere each year.
Improved air quality. Carbon management can provide additional air quality benefits for nearby communities in Louisiana by removing pollutants (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter) that post a direct threat to human health, in addition to CO 2 .
Provide flexibility for stable power. Carbon management-equipped power facilities can help to provide a stable and reliable source of low-carbon energy throughout the energy transition and as renewable energy being added to the power grid.
Job creation and economic benefits. Carbon management projects can create thousands of family-sustaining jobs in engineering, construction, and operation of the facilities and pipelines throughout Louisiana, as well as in the research and development of new technologies. Carbon management can provide economic benefits to regions with fossil fuel resources while reducing emissions, and by supporting economic growth through new, lower-carbon industries and innovation, and creating and sustaining high-value job opportunities.
Carbon management safety
Carbon management activities are heavily regulated and require rigorous monitoring, reporting, and verification procedures to protect people and groundwater sources. Carbon management projects are designed to safely capture and store CO 2 emissions and rely on a combination of engineering design, monitoring, and regulatory oversight. The United States has over 50 years of commercial experience safely capturing, transporting, reusing, and storing CO 2 on a large scale, with no loss of life or significant environmental incident since the projects began in the 1970s. In the United States, there are 14 commercial-scale facilities with the capacity to capture and store approximately 21.4 million metric tons of CO 2 per year, representing nearly half of the global carbon capture industry to date.
Engineering design. The facilities and equipment used in carbon management projects are designed and constructed to meet high safety standards, with multiple layers of protection to prevent leaks or other accidents. The pipelines used to transport the captured CO 2 are made of materials resistant to corrosion and are regularly inspected and maintained.
Monitoring. Carbon management projects are closely monitored to detect any signs of leaks or other issues. For example, sensors are installed along the pipelines to measure pressure and temperature, and to detect any changes that could indicate a problem. Storage sites are monitored to ensure the CO 2 stays underground and in place, out of the atmosphere and water resources. In addition, regular inspections and audits are conducted to ensure that the project is operating as intended.
Regulatory oversight. Carbon management projects are subject to rigorous regulatory oversight by states and the federal government. In the United States, CO 2 pipelines are regulated at both the state and federal levels to ensure they meet safety and environmental standards. For geologic storage, both states and the EPA have extensive requirements for project operators that want to store CO 2 . Advanced training for medical personnel and detailed emergency response plans are important components of carbon management safety. Despite these safety measures, it is important to note that no industrial process can be completely risk-free. However, the risks associated with carbon management projects are generally considered to be low.
