CCS Permits Climb to 106 as New Filings Slow

Three Class VI carbon storage permits have been finalized in 2026, matching all of 2025's approvals, while new applications dropped to three in the first quarter, below the four year average of seven. The trend points to a maturing CCS regulatory pipeline, not a slowdown in industry interest.

>> In Other News: VERDE HYDROGEN Secures 25MW Electrolyzer Supply Award for Flagship Off-Grid Green Hydrogen Mega Project

Why Are Approvals Rising While New Applications Slow Down?

Enverus Intelligence Research's Class VI Update for the first quarter of 2026 shows a regulatory system catching up on a backlog, not losing momentum. Two permits were approved in Q1, and a third followed in April, matching the full year total from 2025 in just four months.

Only three new Class VI applications were submitted during the quarter, less than half the four year average of seven.

The gap tells a specific story. Developers who applied years ago are finally clearing review, while fewer new projects enter the queue behind them.

Where Is Application Activity Concentrated?

Of the 106 Class VI applications Enverus tracked at quarter end, the federal Environmental Protection Agency holds the largest share. That reflects how much review volume still runs through federal channels even as states pursue primacy.

The EPA is reviewing 54 applications covering 211 wells. Louisiana's permitting authority is reviewing 30 applications covering 96 wells, and Texas's permitting authority is reviewing 18 applications covering 69 wells.

Permitting Authority	Applications Under Review	Wells Covered
EPA (federal)	54	211
Louisiana	30	96
Texas	18	69
All other authorities	4	11

The Louisiana and Texas totals confirm what most CCS developers already know. The Gulf Coast remains the country's busiest corridor for carbon storage permitting, driven by industrial density and pipeline access. Three states gained primacy in 2025 alone, and more states are now working through the EPA's pre-application process.

>> RELATED: Texas Bypasses EPA, Unlocks Billion-Dollar CCS Rush

What Happened to the Four Withdrawn Applications?

Four Class VI applications were pulled from review in the first quarter, removing nine wells and 10 million tonnes per annum of planned capacity. Withdrawals are a normal part of project development, not necessarily a sign of trouble.

Developers withdraw applications for several practical reasons. Site geology can shift after deeper testing, financing structures change, or a company resubmits later with stronger technical data, all part of the normal friction in a rapidly scaling CCS industry.

That withdrawal volume should be read alongside the broader pipeline. Even after removing those nine wells, 387 wells remain active across the 106 applications still under review.

Kansas Just Got Its First Class VI Permit

The third 2026 approval landed in Kansas on April 10, when EPA Region 7 issued a final permit to PureField Carbon Capture near Russell, Kansas. It is the first Class VI well permit ever issued in Kansas, and the first across all four states in EPA's Region 7.

That regional first matters for the broader buildout. It signals federal permitting capacity is expanding geographically, not just concentrating in states that already have primacy.

PureField will capture CO2 from its Russell, Kansas ethanol production, injecting up to 150,000 metric tons per year for a total of 1.8 million metric tons over 12 years. The project reflects a broader Midwest pattern of ethanol producers adding carbon capture to qualify for federal tax credits.

How Big Could the CCS Buildout Get?

Five carbon capture and storage projects were actively injecting CO2 through Class VI wells at the end of the first quarter, representing 5.2 million tonnes per annum of working capacity. Enverus forecasts that figure could exceed 100 million tonnes per annum by the end of 2027 and 300 million tonnes by 2030. Both forecasts carry timing risk tied to permitting speed, financing, and construction schedules.

The EPA has also signaled that nearly two dozen additional applications could receive draft permits before the end of 2026. Timeline extensions remain common across the review process, according to Enverus, even as draft activity increases.

Draft permits are the clearest leading indicator of which projects will reach final approval within 12 to 18 months. A jump in draft activity now points toward a stronger approval count later this year, following the pattern already visible at California's first operational CCS hub.

This quarter's numbers point to a system finally working through years of accumulated filings. Approvals building while new filings cool isn't a red flag, it's what a permitting pipeline looks like when it starts processing faster than it fills up.

For ongoing coverage of carbon removal, BECCS, and corporate CDR procurement, subscribe to Decarbonfuse.com.