North Dakota Wants Your Carbon, But Not Your Climate Science

Fossil Fuel Plans Meet Resistance From Climate Scientists

North Dakota's Carbon Capture Pipeline Project: A Climate-Changing Boondoggle?

North Dakota is betting big on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, with plans to build a massive pipeline that would transport captured carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants to underground storage sites. The state is touting the project as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create jobs, but climate scientists are raising concerns about the project's feasibility and environmental impacts.

CCS technology has been around for decades, but it has yet to be deployed at scale. The technology involves capturing carbon dioxide from industrial sources, such as power plants, and then storing it underground. This can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it is also a very expensive and energy-intensive process.

The North Dakota pipeline project is one of the most ambitious CCS projects ever proposed. The pipeline would be over 1,100 miles long and would transport carbon dioxide from 26 coal-fired power plants in North Dakota and Montana to storage sites in North Dakota and Saskatchewan. The project is expected to cost over $4 billion and would be the largest CCS project in the world.

Climate scientists have raised a number of concerns about the North Dakota pipeline project. They argue that the project is not economically viable, that it will not significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and that it could have negative environmental impacts.

One of the main concerns about the project is its cost. The project is expected to cost over $4 billion, and there is no guarantee that it will be successful. CCS technology is still in its early stages of development, and there is a risk that the project could fail.

Another concern is that the project will not significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The pipeline would only capture a fraction of the carbon dioxide emitted by the power plants that it serves. In addition, the process of capturing and transporting carbon dioxide is itself energy-intensive, which means that it will actually increase greenhouse gas emissions in the short term.

Finally, climate scientists are concerned about the environmental impacts of the project. The pipeline would cross over a number of sensitive ecosystems, including wetlands and prairies. The construction and operation of the pipeline could damage these ecosystems and displace wildlife.

Climate scientists are calling on North Dakota to reconsider the pipeline project. They argue that the project is not economically viable, that it will not significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and that it could have negative environmental impacts. They urge the state to invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency instead.