In a post-fossil fuel economy, what could natural gas pipelines be used for?

The United States (as well as many other countries) is covered in a vast network of tubes:

These tubes vary greatly in diameter. Some could hardly fit a baseball, while others are large enough to comfortably fit a prone human.

In a future world of renewable energy, where this natural gas infrastructure is no longer needed for fuel transportation, how could these tubes be repurposed?

If your proposal requires pipelines to have a certain diameter, please take into consideration how prevalent that pipe size is when explaining the reach and impact it would have. I have used the United States as an example in this question, but if you are more familiar with the natural gas infrastructure of another country you should feel free to use that country as part of your answer instead. For bonus points*, include a consideration of contaminants that linger inside these pipes (likely not food-safe, for example), and how that might impact your proposal.

*Disclaimer: not actually worth extra stackexchange points.

posted over 6 years ago

Pink Sweetener‭

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