Akin Gump recently co-sponsored Infocast's CCS / Decarbonization Project Development, Finance & Investment Summit in Houston, Texas, July 25-27.

Partner Shariff Barakat started the conference with an introduction to Section 45Q and how investors, developers and emitters can take advantage of its provisions to structure carbon capture, sequestration and utilization (CCUS) projects.

Holding this conference in Houston is no coincidence as capturing, moving and putting carbon back into the ground is a perfect fit for many of the companies that make Houston their home and have decades of experience with similar oil and gas activities.

Our key takeaway from the conference is that it is never too early to start structuring a CCUS project and preserving the most economically and efficient financial structure possible. Given the many developing economic variables, including the Inflation Reduction Act released just after the conference concluded, maintaining project structuring flexibility is critical to value maximization.

As one of the leading legal service providers to clients in the CCUS space, we see this dynamic play out on a daily basis, having advised on as many or more CCUS projects than any other law firm in the market. In one of the only publicly announced transactions in the CCUS space, we recently represented Talos Energy Inc., which, through its Talos Low Carbon Solutions division, formed a joint venture with Carbonvert, Inc. and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. to develop the Bayou Bend CCS offshore carbon capture and sequestration hub.

For more information on Akin Gump's experience in carbon capture, utilization and storage, please click here.