Letter: New uses for North Dakota’s unique geology

A lot has been fabricated from North Dakota’s distinctive geology by our governor and different elected officers. They are saying that there’s a large potential to pipe in and sequester carbon dioxide, which at first look is most positively a good suggestion. Nonetheless, why not envision a unique function for this useful resource?

For years opponents of renewable power sources have relied on the argument that the wind does not at all times blow. Whereas that’s true, we are able to compensate for the intermittent nature of those sources through the use of these underground buildings to retailer compressed gasoline. When renewable sources are at peak output, use that power to pressurize air. And when these sources wane within the in a single day or throughout calm winds, that stress may be launched to spin a turbine and can even out grid situations.

If these buildings can retailer as a lot gasoline as officers declare, this appears a greater utilization as it’ll enable us to construct out new renewable power capability and resolve the storage drawback often related to renewables. We could possibly be the largest regional participant in an rising inexperienced power market. The price of not doing so is simply too excessive to miss.

Matt Stone lives in Fargo.

This letter doesn’t essentially mirror the opinion of The Discussion board’s editorial board nor Discussion board possession.