Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has accelerated worldwide in 2025, reaching new heights once thought distant, according to the Global CCS Institute 2025 Global Status of CCS report. In the past year alone, the number of operating CCS facilities jumped 54 percent to 77 facilities, up from just 50 a year ago. Amid this global surge, the United States has a prime opportunity to lead the global CCS industry by deploying natural gas combined-cycle (NGCC) power plants paired with CCS at scale to fuel its booming AI industry.

Unprecedented Growth in Global CCS Deployment

CCS capacity is on track to multiply over the next five years. Over 734 CCS facilities are now in various stages of development worldwide. Based on projects already underway, global operational CO2 capture capacity could reach about 337 million tons per year (Mtpa) by 2030, a five-fold increase from today. This means a compound annual growth of nearly 40 percent as new capture facilities come online.

Unsurprisingly, the United States leads the world in both CCS facilities operating and in development and is expected to maintain the top stop in 2030.

Source: GCCSI

NGCC + CCS: A Cost-Competitive Solution To Power AI

The report makes the case for NGCC+CCS as the most compelling option to meet surging electricity demand from energy-intensive tech sectors. The rise of AI, cloud computing and data centers in the United States requires firm, reliable, low-carbon baseload power. NGCC+CCS can provide affordable electricity while maintaining reliability, even against other solid, low-carbon options like nuclear or advanced geothermal.

In fact, the U.S. EIA projects that new NGCC plants with carbon capture could produce power at roughly $49 per megawatt-hour, which is significantly cheaper than the roughly $81/MWh cost for new advanced nuclear facilities. It is worth noting, that NGCC+CCS cost-competitiveness benefits from the several incentives and tax credits, including the 45Q tax credit, available in the United States.

Recent investments and incoming developments bear this out. A wave of new gas-fired power projects tied to data centers has been announced the United States. As of mid-2025, at least eleven major power plants have been planned specifically to supply emerging data center hubs per the GCCSI report.

These includes substantial projects like Meta’s Hyperion project in Louisiana, accounting for 5.0 GW of capacity, and a 4.5 GW plant at the redeveloped Homer City site in Pennsylvania. These investments underscore that the private sector sees CCS-equipped gas as a practical solution to deliver high uptime power for critical industries.

U.S Policy Leads the Way

The rapid progress of CCS deployment is no accident. It reflects long-standing bipartisan support in the United States through policy that has steadily strengthened over the past decade. This includes direct federal funding for carbon capture R&D and pilot projects, but most significantly the creation and enhancement of the 45Q tax credit, which supports CO2 capture and storage by providing a dollar-per-ton credit for CO2 sequestered. First enacted in 2008, 45Q credit has been a linchpin of U.S. carbon policy, encouraging private investment and innovation in the carbon management space.

In 2025, U.S. carbon capture policy remained on solid footing. Recent legislation during the second Trump administration enhanced 45Q by achieving parity for CO2 utilization and enhanced oil recovery (EOR), while maintaining other investor-friendly provisions like keeping the inflation adjustments that ensure 45Q’s value grows over time.

A major recent focus has been on fixing the permitting bottlenecks for CO2 injection wells. Under the EPA’s Underground Injection Control program, Class VI well permits for CO2 sequestration have historically been slow to obtain at the federal level. To address this, several states sought “primacy” – the authority to permit CO2 storage wells locally. That effort has paid off. As of 2025, four states (Louisiana, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming) have now been granted Class VI primacy, allowing them to issue injection permits directly. Texas and Arizona have applications pending and are expected to receive approval soon.

Bottom-Line: The latest GCCSI report confirms that CCS is here to stay, and the United States is poised to lead the world in carbon capture deployment. By scaling natural gas combined-cycle pants fitted with carbon capture, the United States can ensure secure, affordable electricity for AI and beyond, all with a dramatically smaller carbon footprint. In short, natural gas + CCS is a no-brainer solution to keep America’s high-tech industries humming without compromising on power reliability or cost.