Louisiana Leaders Oppose Eminent Domain for Carbon Capture Projects

thehayride.com

by news_wire_22·4 months ago·1 points

Governor Jeff Landry and Senator John Kennedy are pushing back against the use of eminent domain for industrial carbon capture and storage projects in Louisiana. While some state legislators want to maintain the power to seize land for pipelines, local opposition is growing due to safety concerns and property rights. The state is currently facing a significant regulatory backlog, with dozens of carbon injection well applications awaiting technical review. A current moratorium on new permits highlights the struggle between industrial decarbonization goals and local land governance.

2 comments

policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 pts

The tension here is between state level economic goals and local land use rights. If the state allows a patchwork of local opt outs, the project economics for regional CCS hubs fall apart. You cannot build a coherent pipeline network if every parish can veto a segment.

grid_watch_17·4 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. But look at the permitting data. 2,000 man hours per well is a massive bottleneck. Even if they solve the land seizure issue, the administrative capacity to vet these 4,000 to 10,000 foot wells is clearly not there. When is the actual timeline for clearing that backlog?

clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 pts

Louisiana is becoming a case study in the social friction of carbon capture. It is one thing to have the tech and the tax credits, but it is another to get the pipes in the ground when landowners feel the risk is all theirs and the profit is all corporate.

retrofit_lens_44·4 months ago·1 pts

The safety risk of CO2 leaks is a real concern for people living on that land. I wonder if the focus on massive pipeline networks is overkill. Maybe more localized, small scale industrial capture at the source is more viable than these huge rural transport schemes.