The 4 Corners Carbon Coalition, a network of communities in the Western U.S., has allocated $335,000 to four innovative projects aimed at combating climate change and reducing wildfire risks through carbon dioxide removal (CDR).
These projects will utilize advanced CDR techniques to convert organic waste into useful resources like biochar.
The coalition includes Albuquerque, New Mexico; Boulder County, Colorado; Flagstaff, Arizona; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Salt Lake City, Utah.
These regions collaborate to fund CDR initiatives that boost local economies while addressing environmental challenges.
Nearly $2.15 million in funding requests were received, and after a thorough review, grants were awarded to four projects aimed at reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), with three of them also mitigating local wildfire risks, the 4 Corners Carbon Coalition announced on Monday.
Wildfires have increasingly devastated the American West, with Colorado and New Mexico experiencing their most destructive fires recently.
Relevant: 4 Corners Carbon Coalition Awards $150,000 To Direct Air Capture-To-Concrete Site
The projects funded include:
- Bioforcetech Inc. ($50,000) – Incorporating biochar from municipal waste into asphalt and concrete in Boulder, and Flagstaff.
- Carba Inc. ($50,000) – Converting woody biomass into biochar for burial and carbon storage in Flagstaff.
- Gila WoodNet ($145,000) – Processing forest waste into energy and biochar in Boulder, and Silver City, New Mexico.
- Wood Cache PBC ($90,000) – Storing woody biomass for improved carbon storage techniques in La Veta, Colorado, and Provo, Utah.
These projects, supported by the ClimateWorks Foundation, demonstrate significant potential for scalable climate solutions.
They integrate CDR into community waste management, transforming hazardous biomass such as forest debris and municipal organic waste into marketable commodities.
Expert guidance was provided by the Ecological Restoration Institute, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, RMI, and the Yale Carbon Containment Lab.
Read more: Flagstaff And Boulder County Set An Example On Proactive Climate Action
