LOST HILLS, Calif. (KERO) — Aera Energy held a community gathering at Lost Hills Park where community members could learn about the energy company's 'Carbon Frontier' project and ask any questions they had about it.
- The project will focus on capturing carbon dioxide created at the Belridge Oilfield and storing it underground to keep it from being released into the atmosphere. The project lines up with state goals to limit carbon emissions and go carbon-neutral by 2045.
- 23ABC spoke with Aera's Community Outreach Specialist and Carbon Team Manager to learn more about the company's efforts on the project and how they're keeping the community informed. We also spoke with the president of the Caprenter's Local Union 743, to get their perspective on what projects like this can do for communities regarding employment.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
If you were at Lost Hills Park on Wednesday evening and you saw an event happening in this building right behind me, it was for good reason. I'm Sam Hoyle, your Lost Hills neighborhood reporter. It was a community gathering hosted by Aera Energy to showcase their new 'Carbon Frontier' project happening at the Bellridge oil fields and answer any questions that members of the community had.
"We're talking about our project. It's more of an open-house setting. So it's nothing formal. Just want to make sure everyone comes in have a good time. If they had, this is an opportunity for the community to ask specific technical questions, if they have any. And again, ultimately just trying to reach out to the community," said Joseph Lopez, Aera's Community Outreach Specialist.
The project will be focused on Carbon Capture, but what does that mean?
The CO2 produced in the Belridge oil fields west of Lost Hills will be captured and transported north where it will be stored, but where does it go?
According to the Carbon Team Manager for Aera Energy, Joe Roberts, it's going underground.
"Well, it's a technology that's been in use for decades in different parts of the country in the world. It's called an amen process. It's a solvent that removes carbon dioxide from the exhaust gases and capture captures it and stores it where we can inject it underground."
Roberts said that once the project goes online it will capture between one and two tons of CO2 a year. Once the reservoir is full, it will then be capped and left 3,000 ft below the earth's surface permanently.
In attendance at Wednesday Night's event were members of the Carpenter's Local Union 743, and for the union president, he said it was eye-opening to see the commitment to bring jobs to the area.
"To make sure that we maintain these highly skilled jobs. We've got to get people into training opportunities, and it's projects like this, that through the commitment of era to hire contractors that will participate in apprenticeship programs. It's going to offer the local community a way in to get some good skills and offer them mortgage-paying jobs down the road," said Josh Taylor.
According to Roberts, the project is still in a regulatory review with the EPA, but he said the plan is to have the project done by the end of the decade. In Lost Hills, I'm Sam Hoyle, your neighborhood reporter.
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