benefits of carbon sequestration
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the Earth’s atmosphere trap heat resulting in the greenhouse gas effect. There are two categories of greenhouse gas effects: the natural greenhouse effect and the enhanced greenhouse effect. The natural greenhouse effect arises from the presence of greenhouse gases in their natural state, which are crucial for maintaining life on Earth. Without the natural greenhouse effect, the planet's surface temperature would be approximately 91.4°F (33 °C) lower. The enhanced greenhouse effect refers to the additional radiative forcing caused by increased levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that result from human activities.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML) has been monitoring and measuring the atmospheric distribution and trends of the three main long-term drivers of climate change: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), as well as carbon monoxide (CO) which is an important indicator of air pollution through the Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network for many years. Below is an example of the atmospheric dataset collected at the Mauna Loa Observation Station shows the increasing trend in atmospheric CO2 concentrations.
One Earth Sequestration proposes to capture 521,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually. That’s the equivalent of taking 123,999 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles off the road for one year - nearly all vehicles registered in McLean County, Illinois. This benefits everyone.
The proposed One Earth Sequestration project, in partnership with One Earth Energy (OEE), will enable OEE to produce lower carbon-intensity (CI) ethanol. This lower CI ethanol can be refined further to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a cleaner burning fuel backed by the federal government and the State of Illinois. With the completion of the project and some additional steps, OEE will have the capability to produce 120 million gallons of SAF annually.
OEE’s production of ethanol, distiller grains, and corn oil, and purchase of local corn not only supports local farmers but also U.S. energy security and independence. The future production of SAF will further support local farmers and enhance energy security.
OEE’s current plant and proposed carbon sequestration project supports the local and state economies by adding labor income, full-time jobs, and tax revenue.
From 2007 to 2024, OEE has generated a total impact of $5.6 billion on Ford County’s economy, $1 billion in labor income, and more than 12,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
The impact on McLean County, IL, is estimated to be $1.6 billion, with the potential for more than 5,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
At the state level, OEE has generated a total impact of $10.7 billion on the state’s economy from 2007 to 2024.
With sustainable aviation fuel, OEE’s expected total impact on the state’s economy to be about $6.8 billion, with $1.5 billion in labor income creation and more than 21,000 new full-time equivalent jobs.
OEE would also create $256 million in tax revenue at the county and state levels.