I am writing in reference to the opinion piece “Closing Minnesota’s borders to affordable energy.” I disagree with the author that the use of North Dakota coal should have no restrictions. I think Minnesota should continue to not allow coal to be brought into the state for new power-generating projects. Coal may be a cheap source of energy, but the environmental problems associated with using coal are too great to allow more use of coal for power generation at this time.

There are ways to generate more electric power without using coal. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a 250-acre farm can earn $14,000 per year by leasing land for wind turbines. According to the Department of Energy, reaching a 5 percent national wind penetration by 2020 could bring $60 billion in capital investment to rural America and create 80,000 new jobs.

Pollution from burning carbon-based fuels (mainly coal) is the No. 1 cause of the climate crisis, and we have already begun to experience the consequences of a warming planet: temperatures are in flux, sea levels are rising, and storms, droughts, floods, heat waves and wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity. We can’t afford to use increasing amounts of coal to generate power if we hope to get global warming under control. If the carbon from coal can be captured and stored, coal could be a clean source of energy, but this technology is not in place and it might take a long time to develop or might never be practical.

Failure to take action to address the climate crisis will continue to have devastating impacts. We must seek alternatives to burning coal including more use of wind power which can provide income to farms and rural communities and reduce the risk of damage to our land by global warming. We should stop building new power plants that use coal and put a high priority on developing ways to generate power that do not use coal. We need more assurance that carbon from coal can really be captured and stored before we allow more development of coal-burning power plants in Minnesota.

 
Jim Tjepkema

Clarks Grove