South Dakota rejects Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline, cites county rules

via AgWeek
by Jeff Beach
September 11, 2023

South Dakota regulators have put a sudden stop to another carbon pipeline project.

The state’s Public Utilities Commission voted Monday, Sept. 11, to reject a route permit application from Summit Carbon Solutions, which is seeking to build what it calls the world’s largest carbon capture and storage project.

The vote comes just days after the same agency rejected the Navigator CO2 project .

Both projects aim to gather carbon emissions from ethanol plants for underground storage, helping reduce the carbon intensity score for the ethanol plants and open up potential sales in low-carbon fuel markets, such as California. Corn growers that supply the ethanol plants also stand to benefit, the pipeline companies say.

“This is a great day for people over big money. Thankfully our commissioners and staff followed the law and denied Summit’s permit. It is a great day for the people of South Dakota!” Ed Fischbach, an impacted landowner from Spink County and a board member for Dakota Rural Action, said in a news release.