Summit's CO2 Pipeline Faces Legal Hurdles as Iowa Moves Ahead With Phase Two Hearings

Summit Carbon Solutions' proposed Midwest CO2 pipeline is stuck in legal limbo, but the Iowa Utilities Commission is moving toward hearings on a second phase that would add hundreds of miles. The company originally planned to capture CO2 from ethanol plants and store it underground in North Dakota. Courts have blocked key pieces of that plan, and South Dakota has banned eminent domain for carbon pipelines. Summit now says it may route the CO2 to Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, or Kansas, and its website mentions using the gas for enhanced oil and gas drilling. That would be a major shift from the project's original climate pitch. Landowners along the route argue regulators should not hold more hearings until Summit names a final destination. The commission has not yet ruled on Summit's request to remove route and destination language from its permit.