Wyoming rock good for carbon storage, DOE says

WASHINGTON, June 4 (UPI) -- A geological feature in Wyoming could store the equivalent of more than 200 years of emissions from state power plants, the U.S. Department of Energy said.

A study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy found the Rock Springs Uplift, a rock formation, has the geological characteristics for carbon storage.

Scientists at the University of Wyoming led the project team that found the site, which could potentially store as much as 17 billion tons of carbon dioxide.

"This is equal to 250 to 300 years' worth of CO2 emissions produced by the Wyoming's coal-fired power plants and other large regional anthropogenic CO2 sources at current emission levels," the Department of Energy said Tuesday.

In addition, researchers found waters locked in the formation have high concentrations of lithium, a chemical element used in batteries and other electronic components.

The Department of Energy said it found the amount of lithium recovered from the Rock Springs Uplift could offset the cost of CO2 storage.