James Markowsky

James Markowsky is the Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy "with responsibilities for office operations and managing the oversight of Fossil Energy’s Research and Development program (encompassing coal, oil, and natural gas) and the U.S. Petroleum Reserves."

Background information
"Dr. Markowsky began his career with American Electric Power Service Corporation (AEP) in 1971 as a Senior Engineer. He rose through the ranks of AEP to eventually become Executive Vice President in 1993 until his retirement in 2000. Most recently, Dr. Markowsky was a consultant to the energy and electric power generation industries. He holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pratt Institute, a master's degree and doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, and a master's degree in Industrial Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology," a biographical note states.

Defending Carbon Capture and Storage
In response to an opinion column criticizing Carbon Capture and Storage in the New York Times by Robert Bryce, a senior fellow with the Manhattan Institute, Markowsky enthusiastically defended the technology. In a letter to the editor, Markowsky claimed that "the Department of Energy documents more than 3.5 trillion tons of carbon dioxide storage potential in the United States and Canada alone" and that "decades of operational experience from C.C.S. projects and underground carbon dioxide injection (about 53 million tons a year) for enhanced oil recovery indicate that carbon dioxide can be stored safely and effectively."

While conceding that "C.C.S. is not without challenges" Markowsky claimed that the Office of Fossil Energy "is pursuing a vigorous program to have C.C.S. in place for commercial deployment in the next decade, and substantial progress is being made in state-of-the-art technology options that can dramatically reduce the cost of carbon dioxide capture and improve power plant efficiency."

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Carbon Capture and Storage in the United States

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