The Iowa Utilities Board on Tuesday approved Summit Carbon Solutions' controversial carbon capture pipeline project, granting the company the ability to use eminent domain to acquire land from unwilling landowners. 

The project, touted as the world's largest of its kind, would transport liquified carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in Iowa and surrounding states to a storage site in North Dakota. 

However, construction in Iowa hinges on securing permits in South Dakota and North Dakota, which previously denied Summit's applications.

The board's decision sparked mixed reactions, with Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, a Republican, expressing concerns about landowner rights and vowing to pursue legislative solutions. 

“This just further confirms what we already knew — that the Iowa Legislature must conduct a comprehensive review and update the state’s eminent domain laws,” Grassley said. 

“We will seek feedback from Iowans on the best way forward, and in the meantime, I stand ready to assist my constituents however I can.”

Food & Water Watch also criticized the project as an environmentally harmful handout to corporations, blaming Governor Kim Reynolds for the decision. 

“Summit’s carbon pipeline scam is nothing but a gift to Big Ag and the polluting ethanol industry,” Food & Water Watch Policy Director Jim Walsh said. 

“The pipeline poses substantial risks to public safety and will do little to nothing to reduce climate pollution,” he added. 

Summit Carbon Solutions, however, hailed the approval as a "significant milestone" for the agriculture industry, aiming to lower the carbon footprint of ethanol production. CEO Lee Blank expressed confidence in securing permits in the remaining states and resuming project momentum.

The board's approval comes after a lengthy review process exceeding two years. This included reviewing tens of thousands of pages of documents, hearing from over 200 witnesses, and considering public comments on both sides of the issue.

Board Chairman Erik Helland issued a partial dissent, arguing a condition preventing construction until permits are secured elsewhere undermines the board's authority. Board member Joshua Byrnes also dissented, objecting to the approval of a specific lateral route within the project.

Before construction can begin, Summit must submit revised documents, obtain a $100 million insurance policy, and compensate landowners for any construction-related damages.