The state became the 42nd and the most recent to join the U.S. Department of Energy Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership Program, the Energy Department announced.

Hawaii was included as a regional partner for the first time when the West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership was awarded funding for a Phase III large-scale sequestration test. There are seven regional partnerships across the United States.

The Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership Program, launched in 2003, is a nationwide cooperation of federal, state and private-sector partnerships that are determining the most suitable technologies, regulations and infrastructure for future carbon capture and storage in different areas of the country.

During the first phase of the program, the partnerships characterized the potential for carbon dioxide storage in deep geologic formations. In Phase II of the program, the partnerships implemented a portfolio of small-scale geologic and terrestrial sequestration projects.

During Phase III, the partnerships will perform large-volume tests to validate that the capture, transportation, injection and long-term storage of more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide can be done safely, permanently and economically.