With the 2026 legislative session moving into full swing, one of the hottest topics is eminent domain related to the proposed carbon pipeline. I have heard many friends and fellow farmers discussing both sides of this issue, and I really want to look at it from the middle and lay out the facts.
I am by no means a supporter of eminent domain use! However, we need to look at what the ramifications to our state and local communities will be without access to carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology.
Let’s start with how no pipeline being built would affect farmers in Iowa. (If House File 2104 passes, Summit has already confirmed it will not proceed with the project.) So, what would be the effects of no pipeline? The answer is ethanol plant owners and groups will slowly divest from current plants and move their operations to neighboring states, like Nebraska, which already has a pipe in the ground and is seeing huge investment benefits from this…