Advocates for carbon capture and sequestration pipelines scored major legislative victories last week in Pierre, S.D., after lawmakers voted down House Bills 1133 and 1230 in a Senate Commerce and Energy Committee hearing.

The Argus Leader reported that “House Bills 1133 and 1230 both died in a South Dakota Senate Commerce and Energy Committee vote Thursday ― the two pieces of pipeline legislation to survive the House this legislative session. The former was intended to exclude sequestered carbon from being defined as a commodity, which consequently would have barred companies like Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator CO2 Ventures from being considered ‘common carriers’ and ultimately claiming eminent domain to build multi-billion-dollar liquid carbon dioxide pipelines in South Dakota.”

Momentum for carbon capture pipelines continues to grow in the state. Summit Carbon Solutions noted in the story that it has now reached voluntary easement agreements with landowners for 62 percent of its 477-mile carbon pipeline route in the state.