Clint Feland, Bismarck

All new “Clean or Green” energy projects should have to provide documentation from all existing coal or other historic base load energy providers with the effect their project will have on the existing base load infrastructure and profitability. If they have a negative effect on the base load suppliers, they will have to provide the suppliers with an equal percentage of any subsidy they receive based on their comparable output.

If the “green energy” project being subsidized or considered for construction is owned by the base load provider, then they would have to document an emergency plan in place for immediately replacing their load (not steal from an existing grid). If they don’t have coal backup or other base load capability, let them build or share in their subsidy with another method (like natural gas).

Maybe all of the sudden, our reliable coal power plants that we subsidized long ago will be profitable again. Instead of paying billions to bury carbon dioxide, let’s spend billions to build a new coal plant. The “oil” industry could use the power plant’s carbon to expand drilling if it so badly needed.

If we want to build a pipeline so bad, it could transport the existing and future expanded natural gas to localized regional natural gas generation for electrical backup and peaking in those areas or for heating homes.

Has our representation lost ALL common sense?