Carbon sequestration being studied in Wisconsin

MADISON (WPR) A state task force is recommending more exploration of storing power plant emissions underground, but members admit the idea faces many hurdles.

A study group formed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Public Service Commission (PSC) has been looking into underground sequestration of the carbon dioxide produced by Wisconsin's coal-burning power plants.  The committee's draft report says Wisconsin's geology would make storage here difficult, except just possibly a location in the northwest part of the state. But the task force recommends additional study of options, including building a pipeline to send emissions to an underground site in an adjacent state like Illinois. 

PSC commissioner Mark Meyer chaired the task force. He acknowledges that carbon sequestration faces a big legal hurdle, but adds with much of the energy in Wisconsin coming from burning coal, and frequent use of emissions pipelines by oil drillers, sequestration should not be shelved. 

Task force member Peter Taglia of Clean Wisconsin says more study is okay. But he says the money spent on sequestration could instead be spent on slowing the growth of, or cutting power plant emissions.

The state is taking comments on the draft sequestration report for about a month.

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Information from Wisconsin Public Radio, www.wpr.org