The campaign to stop Navigator CO2 Ventures ends in victory!
Navigator cancels its 1,342-mile long CO2 Pipeline Project on October 20, 2023
Citing the unpredictable nature of the regulatory and government processes involved, particularly in South Dakota and Iowa, Navigator decided to cancel its Heartland Greenway CO2 Pipeline. But this did not occur without substantial organizing In Illinois. The Coalition to Stop CO2 pipelines began organizing to stop Navigator's 1,300 mile long pipeline in January 2022, building support that led to local government resolutions, moratoriums, and intervention before the Illinois Commerce Commission.
Navigator filed its application before the ICC in July, 2022, and by January 2023, with drew its project after receiving a recommendation of denial. The company refiled in February, just weeks later, with a second lateral and sequestration site. By summer, opposition to its project had significantly increased. Nearly 500 people packed the Bank of Springfield Convention Center in July to voice their opposition to Navigator Heartland Greenway’s proposed CO2 pipeline. The Coalition to stop CO2 Pipelines continued to increase local government opposition via resolutions and moratoriums, and by October, Navigator had received its second commendation of denial from the Illinois Commerce Commission.
We want to thank all who participated in fighting Navigator in Illinois! The organizing that took place was amazing and effective and led to the cancelation of their entire1,342 mile-long project.
Read Navigator's statement here, and the Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines' press release here.
Project details
Owner: Navigator CO2 Ventures was a privately-held company based in Dallas, whose first-ever pipeline is the proposed “Heartland Greenway“, a “carbon capture & storage” (CCS) project that would have tapped CO2 waste emissions from 32 sources including Midwest ethanol plants for geological sequestration.
Capacity: 15 million metric tons of CO2 per year.
Length:
1,342 miles across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Illinois.
292 miles though Illinois that would extend through 14 counties.
Diameter: Varied: 6-inch laterals and 20-inch main trunkline.
Through Illinois:
- 98-mile 6" Galva lateral.
- 42-mile 20" Montgomery lateral.
- 152-mile 24" Main trunk.
Cost: ~$3 billion.
Geological Sequestration:
Phase I, Christian and Montgomery Counties. Phase II, McLean and DeWitt Counties.
NOTE: While the CO2 pipeline has been canceled, sequestration proposals are being reviewed by the U.S. EPA. Follow their progress on this webpage, and work with us to help stop them.
Financing:
BlackRock’s Global Energy & Power Infrastructure Fund III; “commercially anchored” by Valero.
Operating Revenue:
Federal 45Q Tax Credit starting in 2026 pays $50 per metric ton of CO2 injected underground for 12 years. If Navigator sequesters its maximum capacity of 15 million metric tons per year, then it would be given $750 million in transferable tax credits per year, or a total of $9 billion in tax credits. In addition, Navigator may also seek to sell credits in California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard Program. These credits have a variable price, currently at $123 per metric ton. These credits are intended to mitigate climate change, but both programs have been criticized for providing generous financial rewards without benefiting the environment.
ICC Testimonies, October 2023
Rebuttal Testimony of Mark Maple
Rebuttal Testimony of Kathleen C.M. Campbell
Rebuttal Testimony of Peter S. Kieffer
Rebuttal Testimony of John Abraham
Rebuttal Testimony of Richard B. Kuprewicz
Rebuttal Testimony of Edgar R. Rodriguez
Rebuttal Testimony of Jack Willingham
Rebuttal Testimony of Jerry Briggs
Rebuttal Testimony of Steven Culman
For more, see the ICC dockets:
#23-0161
#22-0497
Press
Navigator CO2 pipeline is canceled, but Illinois opponents say the fight isn’t over | Energy News Network
Navigator CO2 cancels plans for multi-state carbon-dioxide pipeline | News | Illinois Times
Illinois Commerce Commission official blasts pipeline proposal | News
Navigator CO2 withdraws application to build part of controversial 1,400-mile carbon pipeline in Illinois – Chicago Tribune
CO2 pipeline stalled in Sangamon County | News | Illinois Times