Summit Carbon Solutions has appointed Joe Griffin as its new CEO, marking what the company calls a “fresh chapter” for its $9 billion carbon capture pipeline spanning five states, including Iowa.
Griffin, a 40-year veteran of the natural gas industry, has founded or led multiple energy companies, including Hiland Partners LP, backed by oil and gas billionaire Harold Hamm — a major investor in Summit.
Most recently, he co-founded Intensity Infrastructure Partners in 2023 and previously led Sendero Midstream Partners and Intensity Midstream.
In letters sent to Iowa landowners this week, Griffin pledged updated business plans “to open new markets and create greater opportunities for the region,” along with revised right-of-way proposals that “better support landowners and their long-term interests.”
The proposed 2,500-mile pipeline would transport CO2 from nearly 60 ethanol plants to an underground sequestration site in North Dakota, enabling the fuel to be used for sustainable aviation fuel and sold into low-carbon markets such as California. The project also qualifies for lucrative federal tax credits.
However, Summit’s plan has faced years of resistance from landowners, environmental groups, and lawmakers over safety, property rights, and farmland impacts.
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South Dakota has twice denied permits, and Iowa’s governor recently vetoed a bill that would have limited eminent domain use for such projects.
Griffin replaces Lee Blank, whose departure was not explained. Opponents, including the Sierra Club’s Iowa Chapter, remain unmoved. “Iowans have made it loud and clear, we do not want carbon pipelines and we do not want our land stolen for Summit’s for-profit private project,” said spokesperson Jess Mazour.
Griffin, for his part, emphasized his willingness to engage directly with stakeholders. “This project is about more than pipes and technology — it’s about people, land, and communities,” he wrote.
Read more: From Corn To CO2: How The Midwest Is Powering The Carbon Capture Drive
