Summit Carbon Solutions seeks to grow its CO2 pipeline network in Iowa to include more ethanol plants.
Jared Strong reports for Iowa Capital Dispatch.
In short:
- Summit Carbon Solutions intends to increase its pipeline system in Iowa by 340 miles, connecting additional ethanol plants.
- The expansion comes after Navigator CO2 abandons its similar project, leading ethanol producers POET and Valero to join Summit.
- The Iowa Utilities Board is reviewing Summit's initial proposal, while opponents express concerns over land rights and environmental impacts.
Key quote:
"I view our project as representing a meaningful shift in agriculture to lower the carbon intensity of biofuel products."
— Lee Blank, CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions
Why this matters:
This pipeline expansion is crucial for enhancing biofuel production's environmental profile, which aligns with national efforts to reduce carbon emissions. It also directly impacts Iowa's economy, where corn for ethanol is a significant crop.
Most of the ever increasing harvests of corn and soybeans produced by our struggling farmers aren't even eaten directly by humans. They are fed to cattle and used for industrial food ingredients and biofuels.
