The Carbon Utilization Research Council (CURC) is an industry coalition focused on technology solutions for the responsible use of our fossil energy resources. The strength of our coalition derives from the breadth of our membership, which includes power generators that rely upon diverse sources for their electricity production — including natural gas and coal — equipment manufacturers, technology innovators, national associations that represent the power generating industry, labor unions, fossil fuel producers, non-governmental entities, and state, university and technology research organizations.
Unique Mission
With a global focus on reducing emissions from fossil fuel utilization, CURC’s nonpartisan, technology-driven mission ensures the long-term value of fossil energy resources in an increasingly carbon-constrained world.
Consensus Driven & Technically Informed
CURC brings technology developers and end users together. Our recommendations represent the consensus of our membership, including cutting-edge technical experts from a diverse set of interests in power generation.
Pioneering Research & Global Collaboration
CURC collaborates with world-class U.S. and international research organizations, and has been a driving force behind the crafting and passage of legislation, creating considerable financial incentives for fossil fuel technology development and funding for research programs at the U.S. Department of Energy.
Skilled Facilitators
CURC is an established facilitator and trusted authority on advanced fossil energy technologies. We maintain productive working relationships with Members of Congress and the Department of Energy, and these entities turn to CURC for the most recent, fact-driven expertise and recommendations on federal policies affecting technology.
Collaborative Technology Assessment.
Technical experts working on behalf of the CURC membership collaborate to develop the CURC-EPRI Advanced Fossil Energy Technology Roadmap, which defines the research needs to commercialize a broad suite of low carbon fossil energy technologies. The Roadmap recommendations reflect the consensus findings of the CURC membership, and are used to educate policymakers on program direction and budget needs to achieve the Roadmap goals.
Impactful Policy Design.
The recommendations of the Roadmap serve as the basis for CURC’s policy recommendations to Congress, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ensuring that federal policies can be applied in real world applications for the entities that innovate and use new technologies. CURC also works with interested stakeholders, labor groups, NGOs, and environmental groups to advance federal policies that will enable the use of fossil fuels in a carbon constrained world.Members of CURC are at the forefront of their industries in the development, demonstration, and commercialization of technologies that are transforming how the world uses fossil fuels. Continued success will require a robust and sustained set of policies to incentivize the development and deployment of low and zero-carbon fossil energy technologies. This is why CURC’s members team to evaluate technology development needs, outline research and development programs to create technology choices, and design federal policies that achieve results.
Delivering Results with Fact-Based Advocacy.
CURC has built a positive and non-partisan reputation before the U.S. Congress and throughout the Executive Branch as an organization that can be relied upon for useful, fact-based technology information and policy ideas. CURC’s expertise is sought by Members of Congress through testimony and Congressional hearings, and several CURC policy recommendations have been incorporated in enacted legislation and federal research programs, including:
- Enhancements, including credit increases and “direct pay”, to the Section 45Q tax credit that were included in the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Previous reforms to the Section 45Q tax credit.
- $12 billion in new funding for the deployment of CCUS technologies through the enactment of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
- Federal funding for Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) studies for carbon capture and storage projects which has resulted in nine projects receiving federal funding to undertake FEED studies in power sector applications, which is the first step needed to launch commercial projects
- Federal funding for large-scale carbon capture pilot projects, for