Meriden Carbon in the News
Wyoming Ranchers Lead in Carbon Storage, Secure National Recognition
November 13, 2024
Meriden, WY — A small group of Wyoming ranchers, in Laramie County, have pioneered a business model that combines landowners’ value with energy expertise. They call the company Meriden Carbon. This venture is different than other energy projects that come into Wyoming. Meriden Carbon places local landowners at the core of the venture, giving them ownership in the company and a seat at the table when determining how their land is developed, and business decisions are made when it comes to capitalizing on the anticipated future demand of permanent, geologic carbon storage.
The group of landowners came together in early 2023 on the thesis that there is a global shortage of carbon storage options. Wyoming has a unique opportunity to lead the way in bringing a solution. The landowner partners contributed their pore space on over 100,000 contiguous acres of land to form Meriden Carbon and establish a project named the Steamboat Carbon Storage Hub (Steamboat project). The Steamboat project seeks to become one of the largest carbon storage projects in the United States, with room to grow.
Local rancher Jon Kirkbride shared his perspective on the project’s impact: “My family has lived on this ranch and worked the land for over 100 years. When we were first approached with the idea for Meriden Carbon and the Steamboat project, we were a bit skeptical, but as we spent time understanding the process, why it’s needed, and how our lands were uniquely situated to provide a solution – we wanted to get involved. My family is proud to band together with our neighbors to move this opportunity forward and hope that projects like this will allow many more generations of my family to remain on the land.”
The Steamboat project embodies the can-do Wyoming Cowboy spirit—a blend of hard work, grit, and the determination to build something lasting. Self-funded up to this point, the group’s independent efforts have earned traction and credibility, culminating in recent support through the selection for negotiation of a Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) Phase II cooperative agreement. Upon successful negotiation, this approximately $9 million award will allow the group to take the next step in developing the project. This support from DOE FECM will enable Meriden Carbon to work with the University of Wyoming-School of Energy Resources, Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines, and Advanced Resources International to drill stratigraphic wells to validate one of the largest carbon storage resources in the country.
Jeff Kummer, landowner, founder, and CEO of Meriden Carbon, expressed his excitement: “The Steamboat Carbon Storage Hub represents a significant step forward for the state of Wyoming and is another example of how the state is leading the country and our world in bringing local energy solutions to global challenges. It has been one of the highlights of my career to establish this company in direct partnership with legacy ranching families of southeast Wyoming – this opportunity is special, and I am grateful for it.”
The Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin in southeastern Wyoming offers ideal geological formations for permanent carbon storage — well below potable water and hydrocarbon production zones and with natural seals to secure carbon safely underground. With Wyoming’s unique status as one of only three states with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI-Well Permitting authority, Steamboat is positioned to set a standard for safe, responsible large-scale carbon storage.
