CO2 pipeline legislation

March 15, 2025

Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Legislation

It’s time for the Iowa Legislature to pass a bill to protect Iowans from Summit’s proposed carbon pipeline!  We need your help contacting our State Legislators to make sure they pass protective legislation this session.  Several bills are already working their way through the legislature.

HF943 (formerly HSB287) - Bans Eminent Domain on Agricultural Land for the construction of a hazardous liquid pipeline.  The bill states that the construction of hazardous liquid pipelines for the transmission of liquified carbon dioxide is not a public use, public purpose, or public improvement for purposes of condemnation of agricultural land by a utility.  The Sierra Club supports  HF943. 

 

HF780 (formerly HF238)  - If the Utilities Commission grants a carbon dioxide pipeline permit, the permit is limited to 25 years and cannot be renewed.  The Sierra Club supports HF780.

 

HF639 (formerly HF240) - Requires that an applicant for a permit for a hazardous liquid pipeline have insurance to cover losses and injury resulting from the construction of the pipeline and any discharge from the pipeline.  The insurance must also cover any person's increased insurance costs or the person's inability to obtain insurance due to the presence of the pipeline.  The Sierra Club supports HF639.

 

HF302 (formerly HSB67) - Forbids the Iowa Utilities Commission to consider climate change when deciding to grant a permit to build a hazardous liquid pipeline.  If a hazardous liquid pipeline company tells the Utilities Commission that its proposed pipeline will help mitigate climate change, then the Commission can consider whether the facts support that allegation as part of its decision-making.  If the pipeline company is using any federal programs that deal with climate change, including the 45Q tax credits, then the use of those programs should be something that the Utilities Board should be able to consider.  The Sierra Club opposes HF302.

 

HF923 (formerly HF237) - Forbids the Utilities Commission to threaten or impose sanctions on intervenors in contested cases before the Iowa Utilities Commission unless they were dishonest or in violation of criminal statute or unless injury is quantifiable and exceeds $500.  The Sierra Club supports  HF923. 

 

HF790 (formerly HF241) require that all of the members of the Iowa Utilities Commission be present during any live testimony before the commission.  If all of the members are not present, the proceedings are to be paused.  It also requires that at least one member of the Iowa Utilities Commission be present at each informational meeting.  If a member is not present, the meeting will be paused.  During the testimony of the phase 1 of the Summit carbon dioxide pipeline hearings, there were times that only 1 of the commission members was present and there were times that only two of the members were present.  That is unacceptable, especially since sworn testimony from witnesses was being taken.  During the phase 2 Summit carbon dioxide pipeline informational meetings, none of the commissioners were present.  That is also unacceptable.

 

HF578 (formerly HF239) restructures the Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA).  It changes the OCA from being a part of the attorney general's office and makes it an independent agency.  The Consumer Advocate would be appointed by the governor, from a list of three candidates.  The candidates for the Consumer Advocate would be selected by the secretary of agriculture, the state auditor, and the state treasurer.  The Consumer Advocate would serve for 5 years.  The House passed this bill 96 to 0. 

 

Carbon dioxide pipeline activists at the Iowa Capitol