New York touts climate-saving plan to lock away CO2 emission

Scientists in New York have touted an experimental plan to lock carbon dioxide underground and prevent big polluters like China and the US from wrecking the world's climate.

The idea, called carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS, is at the cutting edge of attempts to dramatically reduce CO2 spewed by industrial plant into the atmosphere.

The technology exists, but is little tested and a group of energy companies, academics and state officials hope to make New York one of the field's trailblazers.

"We have the opportunity to demonstrate new technology that could be revolutionary internationally," Paul DeCotis, deputy head of energy policy for New York, told a conference at Columbia University.

"We would love to be exporting to the rest of the world on carbon capture sequestration technology."

These are early days for the daring concept, in which CO2 from coal factories and other sources of pollution is captured, rather than being allowed to pour skyward, and injected deep underground.

New York's planned experiment at a coal-fired plant in Jamestown, in the far north of the state, has government backing.

But new regulations and funding are needed before work can even start.