CONCORDIA SENTINEL: Louisiana cannot afford to fall behind in energy market

Located in Concordia Parish, on the banks of the Mississippi River, I’ve had a unique view into the cross-state competition that is heating up between Louisiana and Mississippi. 

The Pelican State’s energy security, industrial competitiveness, and job creation are all on the line. As the energy landscape evolves, carbon capture and low-carbon solutions are becoming more than just an environmental necessity—they are an economic imperative. 

For Louisiana, a state with deep roots in petrochemical, fertilizer, and steel production, the adoption of these technologies is crucial to securing its future. 

Mississippi is not sitting idle as it makes aggressive moves toward carbon capture and low-carbon investments, setting up a fierce competition that Louisiana cannot afford to lose. With over $20 billion in announced carbon capture projects in Louisiana, the state stands to gain approximately $90 million in permanent jobs and $80 million in local tax revenue.

Energy security has always been a cornerstone of Louisiana’s economy, and carbon capture and low-carbon technologies are the new frontier in ensuring it. As industries worldwide shift to cleaner operations, Louisiana’s energy sector must evolve to remain a leader. Traditional energy sources like natural gas, oil, and petrochemicals still dominate our economy, but the global market is changing. Investors are increasingly looking for emerging technologies to help lower emissions, and carbon capture is crucial to maintaining our energy and manufacturing sectors' global competitiveness.

Mississippi is leveraging its natural resources and geological formations to attract significant investments in carbon capture projects. This gives Mississippi a competitive edge in securing energy investments that could otherwise flow to Louisiana. Our state must ramp up its own carbon capture initiatives to prevent this competition from overshadowing our historical dominance in the energy market.

Louisiana’s industrial sectors—petrochemicals, fertilizer, steel, and more—are critical to the global economy. But with global pressures pushing for decarbonization, these industries are being forced to innovate. Many of Louisiana’s largest employers are already exploring carbon capture technologies to reduce their carbon footprint. Without this pivot, these industries risk falling behind or relocating to states that are more aggressively embracing low-carbon solutions—like Mississippi.

Encouraging regional developments are already taking shape. ExxonMobil recently announced a partnership with the New Generation Gas Gathering (NG3) project for carbon capture, transport, and storage. This builds on the operator’s existing work with emitters in hard-to-abate sectors like steel, cement, and petrochemicals. 

In Louisiana, ExxonMobil has entered into carbon capture agreements with Nucor Steel, and in both Louisiana and Mississippi, CF Industries is utilizing ExxonMobil’s carbon capture technology to reduce its emissions. 

Mississippi's policies and initiatives are actively courting companies that need carbon capture technology to meet global sustainability standards. The industries this technology supports not only provide thousands of jobs but also anchor local economies across Louisiana. Our communities and community leaders must also prioritize low-carbon infrastructure as an economic engine to build up rural regions of the state and attract new investment. 

Beyond the loss of industries, there’s another critical issue at stake: talent retention. In the last five years, Louisiana has lost a population equivalent to the size of Lafayette. This kind of population decline has a ripple effect on our workforce, hollowing out the pool of skilled workers needed to support our key industries. 

Carbon capture and low-carbon solutions represent a chance not just to retain the industries that employ thousands of Louisianans but also to keep our best and brightest here at home. If we want to stop the outflow of talent, we need to offer opportunities in the emerging technologies that are reshaping the future of energy.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. 

Mississippi has laid down the gauntlet—attracting federal dollars, securing private investments, and positioning itself as a low-carbon leader in the South. Louisiana has the opportunity to lead, but only if we act decisively. Our industrial base, our energy security, and our position in the global economy depend on it.

Don Willard is the secretary of the Rotary Club of Ferriday in Concordia Parish, LA.