Gift of $250,000 to UW Supports Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage

A $250,000 gift to the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) from energy infrastructure leader Williams will advance carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) within the state and beyond.

This gift supports the newly created Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Storage Excellence Fund, which will provide increased flexibility in addressing key challenges for the near, medium and long term. Most immediately, the excellence fund will provide support needed for current projects to transition from research and demonstration to commercialization.

SER and its partners across the university, the state and industry are leaders in the advancement of CCUS, which will have a long-term impact on the state and beyond.

The charitable contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the state of Wyoming and will jump-start the program with immediately expendable funds. It also will provide the foundation for a multimillion-dollar endowment that will have a sustained impact for generations to come.

“Williams has a strong relationship with the University of Wyoming and is pleased to support the School of Energy Resources’ CO₂ Storage Excellence Fund,” says Brian Hlavinka, Williams’ vice president of new energy ventures. “The fund will accelerate research, development and deployment of CO₂ storage, a powerful tool to help achieve net-zero emissions and decarbonize hard-to-abate industrial processes.”

Headquartered in Tulsa, Okla., Williams owns and operates a variety of energy infrastructure in Wyoming. It provides its customers with safe and reliable processing facilities, natural gas and liquids pipelines for gathering and transmission, and storage facilities.

Williams has dedicated significant resources to new energy ventures and has made major investments in clean energy innovation, including CCUS technologies and hydrogen research.

Williams has been a long-standing advocate and an important project partner in SER’s activities. Fueled by the mutual desire to develop carbon management solutions in Wyoming, the thriving partnership between Williams and SER has yielded successful collaborations on new research projects and advancements in technology.

“Williams is an exceptional partner, consistently driving innovation and technological advancements to create new opportunities for Wyoming energy,” says Scott Quillinan, SER senior director of research. “Their continued support -- both on the ground and financially -- is allowing us to focus on immediate areas of need in terms of outreach and engagement activities as well as on educational opportunities to work toward developing a full value chain for commercial deployment.”

In addition to its support of CCUS, Williams was an early supporter of SER’s Hydrogen Energy Research Center. It invested in the startup of this center that is dedicated to applied hydrogen research. At the same time, it worked with SER to advance the Wyoming Energy Authority-funded Wyoming Hydrogen Pilot Project that examined potential hydrogen production from renewable energy sources.

Most recently, Williams has been a major player, alongside SER, in U.S. Department of Energy funding opportunities. Current efforts include the Echo Springs CarbonSAFE project, which seeks to leverage a viable source of CO₂ and the existing pipeline transportation infrastructure to prove the viability of this project, and a separate collaborative project that integrates produced-water thermal desalinization technology with autothermal or steam methane reforming for the efficient production of hydrogen.

“We are proud that Williams continues to demonstrate their confidence in the University of Wyoming as an important partner in building a commercially viable carbon management industry,” says Angela Ver Ploeg, UW Foundation senior director of corporate engagement. “Aligning interests between our corporate partners and faculty and researchers ensures that there is a shared vision and an avenue to pursue strategic opportunities. We are so grateful for this incredible gift and the support from the state to make it go even further.”

To learn more about the CO₂ Storage Excellence Fund or to support these efforts, email Ver Ploeg at angela.verploeg@uwyo.edu.