Concepts for Potential Regulations for Establishing the Carbon Capture, Removals, Utilization, and Storage Program Authorized by Senate Bill 905 (Caballero, 2022)

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Available for Public Comment

Concepts for Potential Regulations for Establishing the Carbon Capture, Removals, Utilization, and Storage Program Authorized by Senate Bill 905 (Caballero, 2022)

The California Air Resources Board has posted Concepts for Potential Regulations for Establishing the Carbon Capture, Removals, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) Program. Senate Bill 905 directs CARB to seek public input as part of its pre-rulemaking activity for development of the CCUS Program. Release of these preliminary concepts is intended to help with development for an upcoming rulemaking proposal.

Carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) as well as carbon dioxide removal (CDR) are important strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. CCUS and CDR use technological and nature-based approaches to remove carbon dioxide from the air or from emissions sources like power plants and cement plants. The draft rulemaking concepts CARB is releasing today identify potential standardized definitions for CCUS and CDR, as well as initial regulatory concepts for reporting, monitoring, financial responsibility, and protocols that further support CCUS and CDR inclusion in California's climate policies.

Public feedback on the draft concepts will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time), on June 5, 2026.

All draft potential regulations and concepts will be subject to continuous development and accordingly may not reflect what is ultimately included in the rulemaking proposal for Title 17, California Code of Regulations.

SB 905 Concepts

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Written Comment Period & Comment Submittal

The public comment period for this document will begin on May 7, 2026. Written comments must be received no later than June 5, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time), and addressed to the following:

Clerk of the Board, California Air Resources Board
1001 I Street, Sacramento, California 95814

Electronic Submittal

Please note that under the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 6250 et seq.), your written and oral comments, attachments, and associated contact information (e.g., your address, phone, email, etc.) become part of the public record and can be released to the public upon request.

Background

Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) 1279 (Muratsuchi, 2022) and Senate Bill (SB) 905 (Caballero, 2022) to accelerate California’s climate action. These two pieces of legislation recognize the need to drastically reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) to achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century and head off the worst impacts of climate change.

AB 1279 establishes the state’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality no later than 2045 and requires CARB to identify and implement policies and strategies that enable the removal of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere through carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies. Further, the 2022 Scoping Plan Update identified transitioning away from the combustion of fossil fuels, along with the critical need for CCUS/CDR, as essential to achieving California’s ambitious climate goals.

SB 905 requires CARB to create the CCUS Program to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and viability of CCUS and CDR projects and technologies, to ensure that CCUS and CDR projects meet certain monitoring, reporting, and financial responsibility requirements, and to provide other specified program elements. 

Real and Increasing Costs of Climate Change Impacts for Californians 

The science behind climate change is irrefutable. With the increasing severity and frequency of drought, wildfire, extreme heat, and other impacts, Californians just have to look out their windows to know that climate change is real and rapidly worsening. The impacts once thought decades away are happening now. Recent reports detail some of the impacts to the state:

A 2024 national report ranked California the worst state for natural disasters fueled by a changing climate, with expected annual losses totaling more than $16 billion statewide.

Home insurance is harder and more expensive to get. Seven of California’s largest property insurers, State Farm, Allstate, Farmers, USAA, Travelers, Nationwide and Chubb recently limited new homeowners policies in the Golden State — raising questions about the stability of the California home insurance market.

During an 11-year period, exposure to wildfire smoke caused more than 50,000 deaths in California and more than $400 billion in economic impacts. 
During seven extreme heat events over the past decade, California experienced $7.7 billion in losses. 
Fueled by record drought conditions linked to climate change, the January 2025 Southern California wildfires caused widespread losses including at least 440 deaths, with 31 direct deaths and 409 indirect fatalities from smoke or healthcare disruptions, and destruction of over 16,000 structures. The economic impacts from these fires alone is estimated to be more than $30 billion.