Regionwide Outreach in a Project-level World – Lessons from the PCOR Partnership

Public acceptance is critical to the successful implementation of geologic CO2 storage projects. As such, the U.S. Department of Energy mandated that project-based outreach be included in its regional partnerships as part of its Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership Initiative. In 2003, the Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership initiated a multifaceted, multilevel outreach program in tandem with its characterization and demonstration activities in the north central portion of North America. This paper discusses the role of outreach in the PCOR Partnership, methods employed, and select lessons learned over 13 years of doing public outreach.