An Iowa company is trying to gain support for a multi-state project involving capturing carbon from ethanol plants and moving it underground for storage. In the public debate, advocates for tribal communities say their voices should not be ignored.

Summit Carbon Solutions wants to construct a pipeline through five states, including Iowa, before the carbon dioxide is stored underground in North Dakota.

Supporters of carbon-capture technology say it benefits the environment.

Brian Jorde, managing lawyer at the Domina Law Firm, who is involved in legal strategies to fight such projects, said there are too many unknowns.

"How can these companies guarantee that there won't be a catastrophic disaster in the future when they really have no idea what the formations will look like?" Jorde questioned.

He suggested there is no way of knowing yet if the carbon will move beyond storage boundaries. He spoke at a recent forum hosted by the Great Plains Action Society, along with regional tribal leaders.

They say the projects not only threaten landowners, but could also affect water and other resources for Indigenous communities, even if the pipes run near their lands and not through them. Summit insists it will ensure meaningful consultation with tribes.

Donielle Wanatee, a member of the Meskwaki Nation, said they have seen companies aggressively try to secure land in past projects, including the Dakota Access oil pipeline. She sees it happening again with Summit, even before permits are approved.

"This is just a scary thing, not just for Iowans, but for everybody who isn't aware of this," Wanatee contended.

Environmental and tribal groups said residents along the proposed route must be informed, and urged them to speak up.

They argued Summit is moving fast to convince landowners to agree to land easements. The company describes the pipeline as the largest carbon capture and storage project in the world and would safely store up to 12 million tons of CO2 annually.

Next week, North Dakota landowners will get a chance to hear updates on a proposed underground pipeline for transporting and sequestering carbon dioxide. The meeting comes as tension builds between landowners and the company behind the project.

Dakota Resource Council is hosting next Tuesday's meeting, and said it wants affected property owners to learn about the latest efforts by Summit Carbon Solutions to secure land for its multistate pipeline.

The company recently submitted paperwork in North Dakota to pursue eminent domain if it cannot obtain enough voluntary easements.

Eliot Huggins, field organizer for the Council, said Summit is placing unnecessary pressure on those not agreeing to contracts.

"Harassing, threats of eminent domain, things like that," Huggins outlined. "There's folks at the beginning who might have been open to this who are now pretty opposed, and that's largely just due to their interactions with the company."

Summit insists "misinformation" is being used by opponents and said it will continue to work with local leaders and landowners to address concerns. Tuesday's meeting will be held in Bismarck at the Veterans Memorial Library and begins at 6 p.m. For those who cannot be there in person, they can request a Zoom link from the group to participate online.

The Council also urged those concerned to sign up for the grassroots North Dakota Easement Team, which is designed to fight Summit's efforts collectively, including potential legal options, while informing people of their rights.

Brian Jorde, managing partner of Domina Law Group, which is part of the legal team, said the group approach can be more effective than a person taking action on their own.

"You can be as noisy as you want on your own and good luck to you," Jorde noted. "But unless you're part of a larger group, you can't hope to even make a dent or resist these billion-dollar-backed entities."

Similar groups have been formed in other Midwestern states in the proposed project's footprint. Summit wants to capture carbon dioxide from ethanol plants and move it through multiple states before storing it underground in North Dakota. The plan is touted as a solution in reducing harmful emissions.

Groups such as the Resource Council said while they are not opposed to the concept of carbon sequestration, they argued a large-scale approach presents too many challenges.

By 2030, Minnesota wants 20% of all light-duty vehicles on its roads to be electric. But a lot of charging stations are needed to help achieve that goal, and clean-energy advocates say there's positive movement in that direction.

Supporters of electric vehicles, or EV's, point to Xcel Energy's new proposal, which involves adding 750 high-speed charging stations, as a big step in building up the region's capacity.

Along with commitments from other utilities there's also $68 million from the federal infrastructure law to help add locations. M.K. Anderson, senior policy associate for energy transition for Fresh Energy, said these are all important steps.

"So," said Anderson, "if all of this happens, our state will be just incredibly equipped for the EV revolution that is coming."

Xcel's plan, which still needs to be considered by regulators, includes figuring out locations in rural areas where charging stations are harder to come by.

The utility estimates roughly 8,000 public fast-charging ports are needed statewide as Minnesota prepares for the market shift toward EV's. Xcel's plan does call on ratepayers to help cover construction costs.

Right now, less than 1% of vehicle registrations in Minnesota are EV's.

Tim Sexton, chief sustainability officer and assistant commissioner for sustainability and public health with the state Department of Transportation, said boosting infrastructure will play a big role in convincing more car-buyers to change their approach.

"I think it's really important that people see those chargers out there," said Sexton, "you know, to help them think about opportunities for EVs."

As the state bolsters this infrastructure, Sexton said they're trying to be mindful of how people use these vehicles, depending on their location.

"In the Twin Cities metro," said Sexton, "a lot of people, you know, may only be driving 20 miles a day and may have access to charging at work and they don't need, necessarily, the same kind of public chargers - or at least not as frequently - as people who live in rural communities because they need to travel further."

Iowa is seen as a leader in renewable energy for sources like wind power, but tension is building in how to site such projects.

The rapid growth of wind and solar has led to policy debates at the state level on whether to add regulations, as some landowners and farm groups fight certain plans.

A new guide aims to give local officials a better grasp of proposals coming their way.

Lindsay Mouw, policy associate at the Center for Rural Affairs, said the group's guide is an alternative to state-level decision-making, informing local leaders about project elements they might not be familiar with, as they balance the needs of surrounding areas they know a lot about.

"Local decision-makers know the community and geography best," Mouw pointed out. "And are best equipped to make those decisions and listen to the concerns of their community members."

She argued providing more clarity is crucial as utilities, municipalities and other entities lay out clean-energy goals and look to build more grid capacity for renewables. With more policy debates expected at the State Capitol, the Center hopes its voluntary guide gets a strong look and is widely shared.

Local governments in Iowa have long had the final say on these projects. Mouw noted a similar effort in Indiana allows counties to be designated as primary development spots, if they so choose. She added adopting a "siting matrix" in Iowa could help keep local control, and open the door to broader engagement with the public.

"Community members are well aware of what a developer is required to meet or consider," Mouw explained. "And they will know that their local decision-makers are equipped with all of the information needed to make those decisions responsibly."

She emphasized the siting tool, already used for livestock projects in Iowa and Nebraska, can also help dispel misinformation about renewable energy development. Over the years, local opponents have raised concerns ranging from the loss of farmland to noise generated by wind turbines.

While it waits for the state to consider sharing the guide with counties across Iowa, the Center said local governments are free to use it as a template.