Regulators Approve North Dakota Section of Planned 5-State Midwest Carbon Dioxide Pipeline

State regulators have approved North Dakota's section of a planned five-state carbon dioxide pipeline.

The North Dakota Public Service Commission on Aug. 3 approved a permit for Summit Carbon Solutions to build a 670-mile (1,078-kilometer) pipeline that would transport carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota to North Dakota, where it would be stored underground.

The pipeline is part of a larger project by Summit Carbon Solutions to build a 2,000-mile (3,219-kilometer) carbon capture and storage network in the Midwest.

The company says the pipeline will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing carbon dioxide from ethanol plants and storing it underground.

The project has faced opposition from some landowners and environmental groups, who argue that the pipeline will harm the environment and infringe on property rights.

However, the Public Service Commission found that the project is in the public interest and that Summit Carbon Solutions has taken steps to minimize the environmental impact of the pipeline.

The approval of the North Dakota section of the pipeline is a major step forward for Summit Carbon Solutions.

The company still needs to obtain permits from the other four states before it can begin construction on the pipeline.

The project is expected to cost between $4 billion and $5 billion and could create up to 10,000 jobs.

If completed, the pipeline would be the largest carbon capture and storage project in the world.