Permit Approval for Summit Carbon Solutions Pipeline Will Allow Iowa Ethanol Producers to Compete in Growing Low Carbon Fuel Markets Around the World 

Contact: Emma Koehler
515-322-0435

JOHNSTON, IA – Today the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) approved Summit Carbon Solutions’ carbon capture pipeline, granting a permit for the project to move forward. The decision follows dozens of community meetings, a public docket open almost three years, and the longest public hearing in the history of IUB. Yet the length of the process does not diminish the scale of the new possibilities for ethanol producers and farmers to capture low carbon market opportunities around the country and the world.

“We applaud the IUB for the thorough and fair process it took to reach this decision,” said Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw. “Despite the overheated rhetoric of a few, we must not forget that the overwhelming majority of impacted landowners support this project. More importantly, it was the correct decision based on federal and state law. It is encouraging to see the large amount of disinformation did not prevail.”

Many existing fuel markets in the U.S. are transitioning to low carbon requirements. In addition, massive new markets are opening that require ethanol to lower its already low carbon footprint in order to participate. One example is the 35-billion-gallon sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market.

“Today’s decision creates monumental opportunities for Iowa farmers faced with falling prices and growing stockpiles,” added Shaw. “Whether you think it’s smart or silly, the world’s largest airlines want to decarbonize their fuel. Carbon capture and sequestration gets Iowa ethanol into that market, potentially providing a generational boost to Iowa’s economy. This is just one of several potential new markets.”

SAF production creates a substantial opportunity for rural economies, farmers and renewable fuel producers to prosper. IRFA’s SAF study, released in January 2024, found key economic benefits:

• 770 million bushels of new corn grind per year in Iowa
• Nearly 36,000 construction jobs adding over $3 billion to Iowa’s GDP and $2.2 billion in income
• More than 22,000 permanent new jobs
• About $950 million in new household income
• $2.7 billion added to Iowa’s GDP
• For a typical 1000-acre Iowa farm, $13,000 additional farm income per year

“Today’s decision was the first formal step forward,” said Shaw. “We hope and expect to see positive news in South Dakota and North Dakota in the near future. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and so are the prospects for boosting Iowa’s farm economy.”

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association represents the state’s liquid renewable fuels industry and works to foster its growth. Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production with 42 ethanol refineries capable of producing 4.7 billion gallons annually – including 34 million gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production capacity – and 10 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce 416 million gallons annually. For more information, visit the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association website at: www.IowaRFA.org.

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