Star-Tribune Editorial Board

It's generally understood that Wyoming needs to increase its natural gas storage capacity. Sharply reduced prices for natural gas, when combined with our lack of storage, have resulted in a loss of tax revenue to the state that's estimated in excess of $100 million per year.

But another reason for additional natural gas storage capacity has been suggested by Brian Jeffries, executive director of the Wyoming Pipeline Authority. It's the most innovative approach we've seen to increase the value of Wyoming's wind resource, which should be a priority for the state.

Because wind speed fluctuates, wind farms typically do not operate at full capacity. For example, a wind farm built with 100 megawatts of total generating capacity will likely only generate at full capacity 35 percent and 38 percent of the time, on average.

Jeffries said some utilities have watched their wind generation drop 66 percent within an hour when the wind stops blowing. But during peak periods, they've also seen wind generation increase 80 percent within one hour.

Such instability is the primary reason one megawatt of coal-fired electricity provides enough energy to power about 700 homes, but one megawatt of wind-generated electricity is enough to power only about 300 homes.

Jeffries explained that wind farms could be paired with natural gas turbines in order to provide a certain amount of electrical generation 100 percent of the time. That would be a huge plus for the wind energy industry that would make it much more appealing to utilities because of its dependability. The value of pairing wind and natural gas is enhanced by the fact that a natural gas turbine can be cranked on and off much faster than a coal-fired power plant.

While combining wind and natural gas electrical generation makes sense, Jeffries noted there currently does not exist enough gas storage in the region to make it a viable option.

"It's not a problem that needs to be solved tomorrow," Jeffries said. "But it's something to keep in mind as we move forward." Indeed it is.

It won't be easy to obtain more natural gas storage right away. SourceGas' Oil Springs gas storage facility near Laramie is one possible project. It has a capacity of 22 billion cubic feet, and currently offers about 1 billion cubic feet of gas for short-term delivery.

But a SourceGas official said while there is room for expansion, the company so far has been unable to economically justify the expenditure. Perhaps there are incentives that the state of Wyoming could offer to boost the possibility such expansion could take place.

There's no question that adding capacity would benefit Wyoming's tax revenues. In addition to helping foster the combination of wind power and natural gas - two resources our state has in abundance - it's obviously needed to allow producers an opportunity to store natural gas when prices are extremely low, instead of having to put it in the pipeline.

Coal-fired power plants now account for half of the electrical generation in the nation, and they should continue to be the dominant source even as the nation works toward cleaner ways to burn coal to reduce carbon emissions.

But it will be necessary to increase the use of wind and natural gas to help boost our production by using clean energy sources. It makes perfect sense for Wyoming to do everything it can to increase both forms of energy exports.

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Our view

Wyoming should do everything it can to help increase natural gas storage capacity.

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Editorial Board

Nathan Bekke, publisher

Chad Baldwin, editor

Kerry Drake, opinion editor

Sally Ann Shurmur, community news editor

Ron Gullberg, managing editor