The 2025 Illinois Basin Collaboration & Insights meeting brought together researchers, industry leaders, and students to showcase research, connect with one another, and identify opportunities for future CCS projects.
Held October 1-3, 2025 at the Illinois Conference Center on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, the event was organized by the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) to foster collaboration among industry, academia, and government.
More than 80 attendees participated in three days of panel discussions, project highlights, technical presentations, and workshops on the regional geology and CCS potential of the Illinois Basin.
Panel sessions focused on two key themes: stakeholder engagement and Illinois’ role as a developing CCS hub. Stakeholder engagement panelists stressed the importance of early and sustained community engagement and of providing direct, tangible benefits to the community, rather than relying on broader economic benefits like job creation. Industry panelists called for greater dissemination of scientific research results to policymakers and the public to build awareness and support for CCS development.
On Day 1, the panel sessions were followed by updates from the ISGS, Indiana Geological and Water Survey, and Battelle on ongoing CCS research projects in the Illinois Basin. Day 2 featured a deep dive into the Basin’s geology, emphasizing the importance of a holistic basin model to support safe and effective utilization and management of the subsurface.
The workshop included a demonstration of our Play-Based Exploration of CCS Potential of the Illinois Basin project website to gather feedback on its content and navigation. This initiative focuses on identifying the spatial distribution of CCS opportunities across Illinois. The website will serve as an open access portal through which ISGS can share data, map layers, and research results with project developers, researchers, and community stakeholders.
On the final day, a core workshop was held at the ISGS Geological Samples Library, giving stakeholders hands-on experience with cores from Illinois Basin CCS reservoirs and caprocks. Graduate research assistant Shah Bilawal Ali and postdoctoral researchers David Cousins and Dibya Koirala led discussions on the interpretation of cores from the Mt. Simon Sandstone, Eau Claire Formation, and Knox Group. The Geological Samples Library houses a vast collection of subsurface data and materials, all publicly available for viewing and study.
ISGS staff had a strong presence at the meeting, presenting research that advances the understanding and implementation of CCS in Illinois and beyond. The event offered meaningful perspectives and insights that enriched the ongoing conversation about CCS in the Illinois Basin. ISGS looks forward to continuing these valuable conversations at the next Illinois Basin Collaboration & Insights meeting.
This workshop was funded by A Play-Based Exploration of CCS Potential of the Illinois Basin (DE-FE0032366), a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management award, and the Prairie Research Institute’s Illinois State Geological Survey at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.