#235 This $100 BILLION Industry Is Hiding in Plain Sight! Big Oil's Bet on Carbon Capture

CleanTechies

This week, we’re joined by Todd Bush, an expert in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), with decades of experience supporting oil and gas companies in their decarbonization efforts. Todd has founded and sold multiple companies and is now leading decarbonfuse, a daily newsletter tracking deal activity in carbon capture and industrial decarbonization.

This conversation covers the current state of carbon capture, where the momentum is strongest, the biggest barriers to scaling CCUS, and how policy and investment shifts are shaping the industry. If you’re curious about where the carbon capture market is headed and how it intersects with industries like ethanol, hydrogen, and steel production, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

🔍 Topics Covered in This Episode

**The first movers in carbon capture: ethanol, ammonia, and natural gas
**The difference between Class 2 vs. Class 6 wells and why it matters
**How carbon capture projects get financed and what returns investors expect
**The role of policy (45Q tax credits, permitting hurdles, and regulatory uncertainty)
**Utilization of CO2—who’s buying it and why
**Why Houston and the Gulf Coast are primed to be the epicenter of CCUS
**What’s needed for carbon capture to reach private equity scale

---
🌎 Want the full Pod? Become a paid sub today (cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe)
---
📺 Watch on YouTube

Notes & Links:

• decarbonfuse Newsletter
• Energy Tech Nexus | Digital Wildcatters
• Abt the 45Q Tax Credit
• More on Class 6 vs. Class 2 Wells
• Participate in the CleanTechies Listener Survey: Take Survey.
• Connect with Somil on LinkedIn | Connect with Silas on LinkedIn
• Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn
• This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.

Timestamps:
**0:00 Introduction to Carbon Capture

Support the show

If you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.

• 70+ Placements
• 5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)
• The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)
• 90-day placement guarantee

It's really hard to say no to that.

Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company.

We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank.

Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. [email protected]

Chapters

1. Introduction to Carbon Capture (00:00:00)

2. The Journey into Carbon Capture Solutions (00:03:50)

3. Decarbonization Trends and Industry Perspectives (00:06:55)

4. Carbon Capture Technologies and Their Applications (00:10:01)

5. Regulatory Frameworks and Project Development (00:12:54)

6. Community Engagement and Project Success Factors (00:15:55)

7. Momentum in Carbon Capture and Community Engagement (00:19:41)

8. Technological Bottlenecks and Adoption Rates (00:22:57)

9. Talent Pool and Industry Transition (00:27:25)

10. Regulatory Landscape and Future Outlook (00:32:03)

11. Infrastructure and Project Viability (00:40:14)

12. Carbon Utilization and Demand Areas (00:40:58)

13. Scaling Carbon Projects (00:42:26)

14. Challenges in CO2 Storage and Utilization (00:43:27)

15. Gulf of Mexico Assets and Storage Solutions (00:45:17)

16. Monitoring and Materials in CO2 Projects (00:46:37)

17. Cost Structures and Financial Viability (00:47:37)

18. Point Source Collection and Future Utilization (00:51:32)

19. Tax Credits and Financial Incentives (00:52:53)

20. Impact of Global Conflicts on Clean Energy Investment (00:54:47)