Red Trail Ethanol Plant moves forward class six injection wells in N.D.

Many are wondering how the U.S. will move forward in the fight against climate change in the wake of the president's announcement Thursday that the country would no longer abide by the Paris Accord. Some in North Dakota say they are already moving towards lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Earlier this month the EPA moved forward with a plan to approve class six injection wells in the state which would allow for a much different approach to deal with carbon dioxide emissions.

North Dakota is looking at a new way to cut back on carbon emissions.

"The idea is to store that carbon dioxide in the subsurface rock formation long term," said Kevin Connors, ND Carbon Capture supervisor.

Class VI injection wells would allow energy production sites to store carbon in a state between gas and a liquid and then inject it thousands of feet below the earth’s surface where it could be absorbed by certain types of rock formations.

This is a core sample from the broom creek formation. It's sandstone composition make it ideal for Class VI carbon storage.

Some say the state is putting its money where its mouth in terms of clean energy development.

"This is how you actually reduce CO2 emissions. You produce more energy and you do it with good environmental stewardship. In this case capturing the CO2 and putting it underground and storing it," said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.

If you’re worried this may not be the solution we're looking for Hoeven says years of research was conducted by the Energy and Environmental Research Center.

"They've been testing and developing this for years, in the laboratory and in test cases and in pilot projects," said Hoeven.

The hope is this will technology will be a win for both business and the environment.

Red Trail Ethanol Plant in Richardton will be one of if not the first in the country to use the class six injection wells to store carbon.