EERC receives prestigious Stewardship Award for environmental conservation The Energy & Environmental Research Center has received the prestigious Chairman's Stewardship Award from the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) for its Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership. The award was presented by the chairman of the IOGCC, Gov. Brad Henry, during the IOGCC's annual meeting in Santa Fe, N.M. The IOGCC is a multistate government agency that promotes the conservation and efficient recovery of domestic oil and natural gas while protecting health, safety, and the environment. The awards were given to recipients in four categories: energy education, environmental partnership, small company, and large company. The EERC was selected in the environmental partnership category. "The EERC's PCOR Partnership is an outstanding example of what the award represents," said Terry Adamson, chairman of the IOGCC stewardship subcommittee. "We are incredibly honored to receive this award," said EERC Senior Research Advisor Ed Steadman who manages the PCOR Partnership Program. "The Chairman's Stewardship Awards are the IOGCC's highest honor for the oil and natural gas industry in conservation of domestic resources," said John Harju, EERC associate director for research. "The PCOR Partnership is certainly proud to be recognized among the other outstanding recipients." The other recipients include Devon Energy Corporation (large company) for its Barnett Shale Water Conservation Initiatives project; Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska, Inc. (small company), for the Oooguruk Development Project; and Coalbed Natural Gas Alliance (energy education) for its education and outreach efforts. The PCOR Partnership is one of seven regional partnerships operating under the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Program. The RCSP Program is a government-industry effort tasked with determining the most suitable technologies, regulatory approaches, and infrastructure needs for carbon capture and storage (CCS) on the North American continent. Since its inception in 2003, the PCOR Partnership's more than 90 members have provided data, guidance, financial resources, and practical experience with CCS and terrestrial sequestration. The PCOR Partnership region includes all or part of nine states (Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) and four Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan). "This award is a testament to the entire team of people working in the PCOR Partnership, including our various public and private industry partners from across the continent," said EERC Director Gerald Groenewold. "The PCOR Partnership is addressing a global environmental issue through the development and demonstration of commercially deployable technology. In turn, the PCOR Partnership is greatly enhancing the opportunity for our nation to achieve energy security through the use of clean fossil fuels," Groenewold said.