Monday, February 8, 2010

An energy company is planning to dig a series of salt caverns in central Utah that could help solve one of the problems holding back more widespread development of wind and solar power.

Magnum Gas Storage LLC plans to dig some caverns first for storage of natural gas -- a service in high demand in the Rocky Mountains.

Eventually, Magnum is looking to dig other caverns for compressed air, which it would pump underground to hold excess energy generated by a wind farm and a planned solar farm in Utah's west desert.

Solar and wind power is so erratic -- the wind doesn't always blow; cloud cover can shut down solar cells -- that utilities and power grids can take only so much of it. Storing renewable energy would make balancing loads on the power grid easier.