EVENT
Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Conference 2026
October 7-8, 2026
8:00 AM - 6:00PM CST
Houston, TX, USA
Interested in our event? Contact us to learn more.
The early booking rate is $895 USD per person. Register by May 31 to save $500 USD off the $1395 USD standard rate.
Wood Mackenzie clients: Contact events@woodmac.com for your discount rate and promo code.
The 4th annual Wood Mackenzie Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Conference takes place on October 7-8, 2026 in Houston, TX and will provide attendees crucial insights to guide investment strategies in this rapidly evolving sector.
Hear from our team of CCUS research analysts alongside senior industry leaders as they engage in insightful discussion that explores the key drivers and challenges of the CCUS landscape. Join attendees that include project developers, investors, operators, and decision makers in carbon management, technology, finance, operations, and engineering interested in advancing carbon capture projects and partnerships across the value chain.
Topics for discussion in 2026 include:
Economic viability and high capital costs: Massive upfront investments and current capture costs remain high. Can CCUS demonstrate economic viability independent of policy support and sustained carbon pricing?
Policy and regulatory uncertainty: Inconsistent government support and changing policy landscapes - although 45Q tax credits proving politically resilient across administration changes. Challenges around varying carbon pricing mechanisms across regions and need for long-term, stable policy environments to attract investment. Is international pressure from European CBAM and Asian markets forcing adoption?
Market evolution - from policy-driven to demand-driven economics: Is there a shift away from sole reliance on tax credits (subsidy-dependent demand) toward commercially viable models (corporate sustainability demand)? Are tech giants creating stable demand through data center requirements? Growing recognition that long-term success requires market fundamentals, not just policy support.
Infrastructure development: Are transportation and storage the actual constraint, not capture technology? Need for coordinated development of capture-transport-storage value chains as well as hub and cluster development across the full value chain.
Storage capacity and site selection: Limited availability of suitable geological storage sites vs. massive scale requirements. Critical importance of proper geological assessment to avoid project failures. Challenges of permitting and site characterization complexities. Public acceptance and environmental concerns.
Technology innovation: Recognition that multiple technology solutions needed rather than single approaches. Breakthrough potential in direct air capture, enhanced geothermal, and in situ mineralization. Technology maturity challenges in scaling from pilot to commercial deployment. Are new technologies making CCUS accessible for smaller operators?
Investment and financial market dynamics: Is there declining investor interest in climate investments, shifting toward security priorities? Insurance backing essential for carbon credit trading and investor confidence. Competition from alternative decarbonization technologies (renewables, hydrogen).
Industrial sector adoption: Hard-to-abate industries (cement, steel, chemicals) face unique technical challenges. Integration with existing industrial processes. Retrofit vs. new-build considerations.
Partnership models and collaborative ecosystems: Are these evolving from bilateral agreements to complex multi-stakeholder partnerships? Success requires alignment of policy, infrastructure, technology, and economics. International cooperation and alliance formation despite policy uncertainty.

2026 conference sponsors:
Speaking and branding opportunities are now available for 2026
Develop relationships with decision makers in carbon management, development, technology, finance, operations, engineering, origination, and procurement.
Be part of the agenda and get your brand in front of the audience through a panel discussion or a fireside chat with a senior Wood Mackenzie Analyst.
To arrange an exploratory discussion:
Contact Ro Pleasant, Head of Event & Creative Sponsorships on events@woodmac.com
Registration
The early booking rate is $895 USD per person. Register by May 31 to save $500 USD off the $1395 USD standard rate.
If you are a Wood Mackenzie client, or looking to book a group of two or more people, further discounts are available. Please contact Laurence Allen, Marketing Manager on events@woodmac.com for more information.
Agenda
8:00 AM
CT
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Registration & refreshments
9:00 AM
CT
9:00 AM - 9:10 AM
Welcome & opening remarks
9:10 AM
CT
9:10 AM - 9:30 AM
Wood Mackenzie keynote insight: Is CCUS advancing in a geopolitically ruptured & economically uncertain world?
Mhairidh Evans
VP, Global Head of Carbon Management Research
Wood Mackenzie
9:30 AM
CT
9:30 AM - 9:50 AM
Keynote / CEO interview
Ed Crooks
Senior Vice President, Thought Leadership Executive, Americas
Wood Mackenzie
9:50 AM
CT
9:50 AM - 10:35 AM
Keynote panel: Is Industrial decarbonisation an ebb? Headwinds & tailwinds for CCUS
- - With so much political uncertainty, do investors really want to invest in decarbonisation?
- - Is the industry transitioning from policy-driven to demand-driven? Do any signals give investors’ confidence? Can emerging demand from data centres, CBAM requirements and corporate commitments provide the stability that policy uncertainty undermines?
- - Can the industry overcome the investment dilemma for 10–15 year horizons?
- - As the industry continues to focus on capture technology, is midstream transport and storage infrastructure the actual constraint? What needs to happen to unlock coordinated, hub-scale deployment to complete the value chain or claim credits?
- - Are we building a CCUS industry or merely building projects? What collaborative models could shift CCUS from competition to cooperation to create economies of scale needed for true commercialization?
Ed Crooks
Senior Vice President, Thought Leadership Executive, Americas
Wood Mackenzie
10:35 AM
CT
10:35 AM - 11:15 AM
Networking & refreshments
11:15 AM
CT
11:15 AM - 11:35 AM
Fireside chat
11:35 AM
CT
11:35 AM - 12:15 PM
Panel: Making the economics work beyond policy incentives
- - Breaking through the viability barrier - what combination of policy incentives, technology breakthroughs and market demand is required to achieve bankable project economics?
- - Why 45Q alone isn't enough - examining the "missing middle" revenue streams needed to achieve project-level returns
- - High-purity sources versus post-combustion economics - the 2-3 year versus 10-year commercial timeline divide
- - CBAM and international low-carbon product premiums - will customers pay for "green cement" and "green steel"?
- - Which project types are reaching FID in North America and globally? Why?
Lucy King
Principal Analyst and Head of Americas CCUS
Wood Mackenzie
12:15 PM
CT
12:15 PM - 12:35 PM
Fireside chat: 45Q compliance playbook - protecting your project's economics
- - Understanding the critical pre-construction compliance documentation requirements and how missing these deadlines can reduce your credit value by 400% or disqualify your project entirely
- Navigating the complex multi-year audit trail, wage verification, monitoring/verification protocols and IRS scrutiny that separates projects that successfully monetize the full $85/ton
Lucy King
Principal Analyst and Head of Americas CCUS
Wood Mackenzie
12:35 PM
CT
12:35 PM - 2:00 PM
Networking lunch
2:00 PM
CT
2:00 PM - 2:20 PM
Wood Mackenzie insight: Decarbonising data centres – viable pathways & hyperscaler willingness
Peter Findlay
Director and Lead SME Carbon Management
Wood Mackenzie
2:20 PM
CT
2:20 PM - 3:00 PM
Panel: New demand anchor – can data centres, hyperscalers & tech giants create a stable market for carbon capture
- - How are tech giants evaluating behind-the-meter CCUS against alternatives (nuclear, geothermal, offsets or simply paying for emissions)?
- - Can data centre demand timelines finally provide the stable, long-term offtake agreements that CCUS projects need to reach FID?
- - Can regional data centre clusters drive the hub-and-spoke CCUS infrastructure that has struggled to materialize for industrial emitters?
- - Will hyperscaler sustainability commitments survive economic downturns and competing capital priorities (AI infrastructure, network expansion)?
- - How does data centre CCUS demand compare to the "luxury good" carbon removal credit market—sustainable revenue stream or temporary trend?
- - What capture technology learning curves and shared infrastructure models are needed to serve multiple data centres cost-effectively?
- - What project developers need to do to attract hyperscaler attention?
3:00 PM
CT
3:00 PM - 3:40 PM
Networking & refreshments
3:40 PM
CT
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM
Fireside chat
4:00 PM
CT
4:00 PM - 4:20 PM
Wood Mackenzie insight: Storage costs & headwinds: the US vs. the world
April Read
Principal Analyst and Head of Americas CCUS storage
Wood Mackenzie
4:20 PM
CT
4:20 PM - 5:00 PM
Panel: The regulatory bottlenecks of transportation & storage vs. utilisation – clearing a critical path for CCUS to scale up & keep costs down
- - How can state primacy programs accelerate Class VI well permitting timelines without creating a fragmented, inconsistent landscape? What specific roadmaps should emerging primacy states communicate to industry?
- - The missing middle of the value chain - why does the industry focus disproportionately on capture technology when midstream T&S is the actual bottleneck? How do we bridge the gap between capture readiness and storage availability?
- - Pore space rights and commercial viability - how can states balance competitive development with the need for shared infrastructure and economies of scale? What regulatory frameworks enable hub-and-cluster models versus fragmented point-to-point projects?
- - Are permitting authorities and infrastructure supply chains prepared for rapid scale-up or will success create its own bottleneck?
- - How to overcome pipeline nimbyism, activism and regulation
April Read
Principal Analyst and Head of Americas CCUS storage
Wood Mackenzie
5:00 PM
CT
5:00 PM - 5:10 PM
Closing remarks
5:10 PM
CT
5:10 PM - 6:10 PM
Networking drinks reception
8:30 AM
CT
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Registration & refreshments
9:00 AM
CT
9:00 AM - 9:05 AM
Welcome & opening remarks
9:05 AM
CT
9:05 AM - 9:25 AM
Wood Mackenzie keynote insight: Does CCUS still cost too much for what people are willing to pay?
Peter Findlay
Director and Lead SME Carbon Management
Wood Mackenzie
Lucy King
Principal Analyst and Head of Americas CCUS
Wood Mackenzie
9:25 AM
CT
9:25 AM - 10:10 AM
Keynote panel: Post-combustion CCUS in hard-to-abate industries – are we seeing movement from ambition to action?
- - Post-combustion capture costs and technical complexity continue to challenge the industry
- - What combination of policy support, carbon pricing and revenue streams can bridge the viability gap for these 5-10 year timeline projects?
- - Technology as cost curve disruptor – what step-changes could move the needle?
- - Are current technologies sufficient or do we need step-change innovations to achieve commercial scale?
- - The emitter knowledge gap and lack of CCUS expertise to understand what’s possible
- - Are risk-averse industrial sectors, long investment horizons and asset turnover cycles creating decision-making paralysis?
- - Why have new announcements slowed and what can rekindle momentum?
- - Which projects are advancing to construction and why, versus which remain perpetual "studies"?
- - How can hub and cluster models overcome fragmented, site-by-site approaches to reduce infrastructure bottlenecks?
10:10 AM
CT
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Fireside chat
10:30 AM
CT
10:30 AM - 11:10 AM
Networking refreshments
11:10 AM
CT
11:10 AM - 12:10 PM
Roundtable discussions
The audience will split into self-selected groups for roundtable discussions led by a moderator. This will offer participants the opportunity to deep dive into topics with their peers, discuss mutual challenges, share lessons learned and develop new business connections.
12:10 PM
CT
12:10 PM - 1:20 PM
Networking lunch
1:20 PM
CT
1:20 PM - 2:00 PM
Panel: What is to become of BECCS, DAC as well as other tech & nature-based CDR?
- - What does Microsoft’s purported slowdown of CDR investments mean for CDR?
- - Are other buyers stepping up?
- - Is Dac progressing enough to keep momentum?
- - How likely is BECCS to scale globally and in North America?
- - Will nature-based removals once again become the norm with reformed standards?
- - What can DAC teach point source capture?
Linda Htein
Director and Head of Carbon Mitigation (CCUS and CDR) Research
Wood Mackenzie
2:00 PM
CT
2:00 PM - 2:20 PM
Wood Mackenzie insight: It’s tough to make carbon market & CCUS predictions, especially about the future
Shashank Atreya
Senior Research Analyst and Lead of Carbon Markets, Americas
Wood Mackenzie
2:20 PM
CT
2:20 PM - 3:00 PM
Wood Mackenzie insight: Quiz the analysts – who, what & where is going to lead in global CCUS/CDR & why?
- - How are carbon markets evolving versus other incentives across the world and sectors?
- - Which jurisdictions are best at what?
- - Which projects are steadfast enough to go forward?
Lucy King
Principal Analyst and Head of Americas CCUS
Wood Mackenzie
Peter Findlay
Director and Lead SME Carbon Management
Wood Mackenzie
Shashank Atreya
Senior Research Analyst and Lead of Carbon Markets, Americas
Wood Mackenzie
April Read
Principal Analyst and Head of Americas CCUS storage
Wood Mackenzie
3:00 PM
CT
3:00 PM - 3:10 PM
Key takeaways & closing remarks
3:10 PM
CT
3:10 PM - 3:15 PM
Close of conference
Sponsors
2026 Diamond sponsors
Bracewell LLP
Industry-Focused Legal and Advocacy Strategies
Bracewell LLP is a leading law firm that is known worldwide for its unique depth and experience in the energy, infrastructure, finance and technology sectors. To complement our sector-focused excellence, we boast an impressive and diversified array of market-leading substantive practices, including award-winning transactional, litigation, regulatory and government relations practices. This robust mix of sector and practice strengths has allowed us to be a firm of choice for many of the world’s largest and most successful corporate enterprises, financial institutions, private funds and governmental entities.
Firm of Choice for CCUS Projects and Transactions
Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) are poised to play a central role in the energy transition, with businesses and governmental entities throughout the world announcing aggressive plans for net zero emissions that include the use of CCUS technology.
Bracewell is at the vanguard of policy, regulatory and other legal developments related to CCUS projects and transactions. With one of the world’s largest cross- disciplinary energy teams, we have an unparalleled understanding of the vast business issues facing emitters, developers of carbon capture facilities, CO2 pipeline companies, CO2 storage providers, oil and gas companies utilizing CO2 for enhanced oil and gas recovery and tax equity investors.
We represent stakeholders in the manufacturing, power, chemical, bio-fuels and oil and gas industries in their efforts to transition to less carbon-intensive operations.
Our global team includes lawyers with broad experience in the midstream and upstream oil and gas sectors, as well as in renewable and conventional power. This experience complements the firm’s strengths in project development and finance, corporate transactions, environmental strategies, land rights, energy regulation, transactional tax and tax policy.
Halliburton
Halliburton is one of the world’s leading providers of products and services to the energy industry. We apply 100 years of world-class energy industry expertise, resources, and versatile capabilities to collaborate and help engineer the best solutions for complex carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen storage and transportation projects. Through active collaboration with our customers, we provide end-to-end solutions that help reduce risk and maximize asset value, from planning and site evaluation through construction and long-term monitoring.
2026 Roundtable sponsors
Rose Subsurface Assessment
Since the year 2000, Rose has specialized in E&P Risk Analysis, teaching, and implementing consistent evaluation procedures. We maintain the tradition of systematic, objective prospect and play evaluation, calibrated against real results. Our practice is known for its technical excellence, responsive service, and a legacy of influential professionals.
2025 sponsors included:
Platinum Sponsor - Coastal Bend LNG
Coastal Bend LNG is a privately held energy infrastructure development company dedicated to delivering low-carbon energy to the world. With a focus on sustainability, innovation, and operational excellence, the company is at the forefront of unleashing American energy dominance.
Gold Sponsor - BKV
BKV is a forward thinking, growth driven energy company focused on creating value for our stockholders. Our core business is to produce natural gas from our owned and operated upstream businesses, which we expect to achieve net zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, for our owned and operated upstream and midstream assets, by the early 2030s. We maintain a “closed-loop” approach to our net zero emissions goal with our four business lines: natural gas production, natural gas midstream, power generation, and carbon capture, utilization and sequestration (“CCUS”). BKV was founded in 2015, and our employees are committed to building a different kind of energy company. We are a group of innovators passionate about how the energy industry can change the world. We understand the impact climate change has on our community, the world and future generations, and addressing these impacts in how energy is produced is a top priority. Through our CCUS business, we aim to reduce man-made GHG emissions to the atmosphere by capturing CO2 emitted in connection with natural gas activities, whether from their own operations or third- party operations, as well as from other energy and industrial sources. BKV commenced operations at its inaugural CCUS project, Barnett Zero, in November 2023. BKV is one of the top 20 gas-weighted natural gas producers in the United States and the largest natural gas producer by gross operated volume in the Barnett Shale. We believe that our differentiated business model, net zero emissions focus, highly experienced management team and technology-driven approach to operating our business will enable us to create stockholder value.
BKV Corporation is the parent company for the BKV family of companies.
Gold Sponsor - A&O Shearman
With nearly 4,000 lawyers globally across over 49 offices in 28 countries worldwide, we are a global law firm equally fluent in U.S. law, English law and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets. We bring top-tier experience across the energy, natural resources and infrastructure sectors to industry players all over the world across the full value chain of their worldwide projects, as well as multinational clients in relation to their corporate, finance, disputes, regulatory, and tech issues, helping them navigate their most complex cross-border matters. With a collaborative, innovation-led approach and deep sector insight, we partner with businesses and institutions worldwide to deliver practical solutions and lasting value.
Silver Sponsor - Emerson
Emerson is a global technology and software leader – with 130+ manufacturing locations worldwide – that provides automation solutions for customers across the world’s most essential industries. Our global organization of problem solvers is guided by a singular purpose: We drive innovation that makes the world healthier, safer, smarter and more sustainable.
Silver Sponsor - Yokogawa
Yokogawa provides advanced solutions in the areas of measurement, control, and information to customers across a broad range of industries, including energy, chemicals, materials, pharmaceuticals, and food. Yokogawa addresses customer issues regarding the optimization of production, assets, and the supply chain with the effective application of digital technologies, enabling the transition to autonomous operations.
Roundtable Sponsor - ION Clean Energy
Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, ION Clean Energy has developed a transformative carbon capture technology that is particularly effective in capturing CO2 emissions from natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) flue gas streams.
ION’s solution captures between 95% to over 99% of CO2 emissions with fast kinetics and low energy use, is exceptionally resistant to oxidative degradation and remarkably stable, and has extremely low emissions.
ION has over 20,000 hours of successful performance testing at the National Carbon Capture Center in Alabama and Technology Centre Mongstad in Norway, the world’s largest and most advanced CO2 capture test facility.
ION is the carbon capture technology featured at Calpine’s Sutter Decarbonization Project, a full-scale carbon capture demonstration project at its Sutter Energy Center which recently executed a cost share agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). The Sutter Decarbonization Project is designed to capture 95% of existing carbon dioxide emissions enabling the Sutter Energy Center to produce firm, dispatchable, low-carbon electricity.
ION is also operating its custom-built, 10 TPD Enterprise Pilot Project at Calpine’s Los Medanos Energy Center in Pittsburg, CA. The pilot began operation in September 2023 without delays and has continued to demonstrate extremely impressive results on a low CO2, high O2 NGCC flue gas since commissioning began.
Roundtable Sponsor - Strobel Energy Group
From carbon capture to renewable diesel to SAF, our team can assist you in realizing your sustainability goals.
From project start to finish, Strobel Companies will provide engineering, infrastructure, and transportation support. Our in-house engineers at Strobel Energy Group will work with you to design what is needed. The Procurement & Construction teams at Strobel Energy Group can build the infrastructure, while optimizing modularization and prefabricated construction elements from Strobel Fabrication.
Strobel Energy Logistics can help to arrange rail, truck, or pipeline delivery of liquids.
Start-up Sponsor - SpiralWave
SpiralWave is reimagining carbon capture from the ground up.
Today’s carbon capture systems are stuck in their punch-card era — heavily mechanical, multi-step processes relying on inefficient and expensive air contactors, circulation loops, and regenerators. SpiralWave’s CaptureBeam collapses all of this into a single, seamless, electrically driven interface — with no membranes, no rare earth metals, and no specialty chemicals. Built on scalable manufacturing and smart electrochemistry, CaptureBeam transforms carbon capture into a factory-made product as accessible as modern electronics, enabling rapid container-scale deployment and cost curves that finally make climate impact exponential.
Speaking and branding opportunities are now available for 2026
Be part of the agenda and get your brand in front of the audience through a panel discussion or a fireside chat with a senior Wood Mackenzie Analyst.
To arrange an exploratory discussion:
Contact Ro Pleasant, Head of Event & Creative Sponsorships on events@woodmac.com
Venue Information
InterContinental Houston
InterContinental Houston, 6750 Main Street, Houston, TX, USA
Situated in the heart of Houston, InterContinental Houston combines modern luxury with warm Texas hospitality. Ideally located next to the world-renowned Texas Medical Center, Rice University, NRG Stadium, the Museum District, and The Galleria, this elegant hotel is the perfect choice for both business and leisure travelers. The hotel showcases recently renovated public spaces, all thoughtfully designed for a refined guest experience. Guests enjoy exclusive amenities including advanced purified air systems, a complimentary ADA-compliant local shuttle, Club InterContinental lounge, and two exceptional on-site restaurants featuring Safina Restaurant. With Houston's vibrant skyline as your backdrop and easy access to the city's premier attractions, InterContinental Houston offers an unforgettable stay where sophistication meets Southern charm.
Join us in Houston, TX from October 7-8 2026:
The CCUS industry is constantly evolving, with new trends, technologies, and challenges emerging regularly. Connect with key leaders and stakeholders in the industry and gain valuable insights into the latest carbon capture project developments.
Networking opportunities: Network with industry professionals and experts from across the value chain, providing you with the opportunity to exchange ideas, and form valuable business relationships.
Insight into project developments: Including updates on ongoing initiatives, and breakthrough technologies, for a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape and potential future opportunities.
Partnership opportunities: The conference provides a platform to forge new partnerships within the CCUS industry. By interacting with industry leaders, you can identify potential collaboration opportunities and form strategic alliances.
Candid conversations: Engage in candid conversations with our thought leaders on research that has not yet been reported. By participating in panel discussions and interactive sessions, you can gain insights into the challenges, opportunities, and real-world experiences of industry experts, enabling you to broaden your knowledge and perspective.
Stay updated on critical trends and technologies: Stay up to date with the latest developments in emissions reduction and CCUS. You can learn about cutting-edge technologies, innovative strategies, and regulatory updates, enabling you to make informed decisions and stay ahead of the curve.
Linda Htein
Director and Head of Carbon Mitigation (CCUS and CDR) Research
Wood Mackenzie
Ed Crooks
Senior Vice President, Thought Leadership Executive, Americas
Wood Mackenzie
Mhairidh Evans
VP, Global Head of Carbon Management Research
Wood Mackenzie
April Read
Principal Analyst and Head of Americas CCUS storage
Wood Mackenzie
Irina Irina Markina
Managing Director and Chief Decarbonization Officer
Ara Partners
Irina Markina is the Managing Director and Chief Decarbonization Officer at Ara Partners. Irina leads the firm’s decarbonization strategy, decarbonization investment diligence, portfolio decarbonization performance measurement and management, and value creation. Prior to joining Ara Partners, Irina was a global Corporate Sustainability Manager at Baker Hughes, a $36 billion energy technology company, where she was instrumental in operationalizing the company’s sustainability strategy and operating model across its global business. Prior to this, Irina served as the Senior Energy Advisor at the European Union Delegation to the United States, where she provided technical guidance and directed the European Commission’s cooperation on energy and decarbonization strategy with U.S. government agencies.
Lucy King
Principal Analyst and Head of Americas CCUS
Wood Mackenzie
Elena Belletti
VP, Global Head of Carbon Research
Wood Mackenzie
Peter Findlay
Director and Lead SME Carbon Management
Wood Mackenzie
Shashank Atreya
Senior Research Analyst and Lead of Carbon Markets, Americas
Wood Mackenzie