Nebraska
Community Benefits Agreement Reached for Nebraska Pipeline Project – Farm Policy News
The Iowa Capital Dispatch’s Paul Hammel reported last week that “the developer of a carbon-dioxide pipeline (across Nebraska) and an environmental group have struck a ‘one-of-a-kind’ agreement to ensure ‘community benefits’ from the pipeline as well as support for the project.”
“Kansas-based Tallgrass, which is converting a 392-mile-long natural gas pipeline to transport CO2, announced the agreement Tuesday with Bold Alliance, whose subsidiary, Bold Nebraska, was a leading opponent of the Keystone XL crude-oil pipeline,” Hammel reported. “…Under the ‘community benefits agreement,’ Bold will not oppose the project in exchange for Tallgrass’ commitment to spend $600,000 to train and equip first responders on the pipeline route and to donate $500,000 to nonprofits in the counties on the route.”
“In addition, landowners on new pipeline laterals will have the option to receive yearly royalty checks, based on the volume of carbon dioxide being shipped, rather than a lump-sum payment for right of way upfront,” Hammel reported. “And they will have the option of having Tallgrass remove the pipe and reclaim the land if the pipeline is later decommissioned.”
Community Agreement is First of its Kind
Hammel reported that Tallgrass spokesman Steven Davidson “said it’s the first agreement of its kind that he’s aware of involving a pipeline project.”
And while “such community benefit agreements are legally binding” and “non-compliance could result in a lawsuit seeking enforcement of the provision,” Hammel reported, “lawsuits over eminent domain could still happen, and (Bold Alliance founder Jane) Kleeb said the agreement doesn’t change Bold’s opposition to the use of eminent domain for pipelines that blaze new routes.”
However, Tallgrass segment president Kyle “Quackenbush said that using a court order to obtain land is the company’s ‘last resort.’ Already, he said, Tallgrass has worked ‘hundreds of reroutes’ after finding landowners who didn’t want a pipeline across their land,” according to Hammel’s reporting.
As of last week, “eleven farm groups also signed the 10-page, 10-year agreement as supporters, including the Nebraska Farm Bureau, the Nebraska Farmers Union, and Renewable Fuels Nebraska.”
Why Some Farmers are Opposing Pipelines
The community benefits agreement was reached in an effort for pipeline developer Tallgrass to avoid much of the opposition from farmers, landowners and state regulators that have plagued other carbon pipeline proposals in the Midwest over the last several months.
For example, the proposed pipeline across the Midwest by Summit Carbon Solutions’ has faced “regulator pushback and vocal opposition from farmers who don’t want to be anywhere near a project they claim tramples on landowner rights,” Bloomberg’s Kim Chipman reported. That has caused Summit to go “back to the drawing board to revise the pipeline’s path 6,300 times. The project’s expected start has been delayed until early 2026, two years later than initial projections, with the estimated cost nearly doubling to about $8 billion.”
While Summit’s proposal and others like it could be key for helping corn farmers be able to use their crops in things like ethanol and sustainable aviation fuel, Chipman reported, “some corn farmers who are usually quite supportive of the ethanol industry aren’t convinced the company’s solution is the right one, especially after its initial approach toward landowners was viewed by some as too adversarial, or even bullying. Tensions have been especially high in South Dakota, which rejected Summit’s plan last year on the grounds it didn’t comply with county distance rules.”
“Summit Carbon’s top rival, the now defunct Navigator pipeline backed by BlackRock Inc., failed last year after grappling with similar opposition,” Chipman wrote.
Hammel reported that Kleeb said that now “the question is, what will other pipeline companies now do? This sets a pretty high bar.”
“The agreement, Kleeb said, ‘sets a standard’ for future energy infrastructure projects of all kinds, including renewable energy.”
Iowa coach Ben McCollum met with the media following his team’s 77-71 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Sweet 16. The Cornhuskers led by three at the half but Iowa was able to outscore Nebraska 34-25 in the second half.
Pryce Sandfort led all scorers with 25 points while shooting 8 of 13 from the field and 6 of 10 from the 3-point line. Bennett Stirtz led the Hawkeyes with 20 points and played for all 40 minutes.
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Iowa shot 52% (27-52) from the floor, 43% (13-30) from beyond the arc and 83% (10-12) from the free throw line. Nebraska struggled shooting 41% (24-58) from the field, 34% (13-38) from the 3-point line and 91% (10-11) from the charity stripe.
The Hawkeyes’ head coach acknowledged that his team had a poor start but a great finish and said that his team will need to play better to advance beyond the Elite Eight.
Yeah, I think to start we weren’t fantastic to start. They had an elite game plan to start. They played with elite pace. They adjusted their defense quite a bit. I think a lot of people will talk about the rivalry. I was around it when I was in Iowa, you know, and grew up in Iowa and understand the rivalry and whatnot. It’s nice to have — I guess if you would a call it rival that runs such a class program.
I think Coach Hoiberg, they have got great kids. They completely turned everything around from the previous season, and they have absolutely nothing to hang their heads about or anything. I have the utmost respect for them, all their players, and especially Coach Hoiberg. Heck of a season. I know it’s no consolation, but we still want to beat ’em every time and they want to beat us every time.
But from and internal perspective, there’s not a lot of bad blood there. It’s actually a lot of respect. I was really pleased with our second-half performance. I thought we actually decided we were going to try — not try. They had a lot to do with it, but kind of. Yeah, they’re smiling over there because they saw me break my marker.
And I thought our kids did a good job of executing offensively in both halves. We spent a lot of time trying to make sure that we could score, and you saw the result of that. We didn’t defend. But we were able to score, so we were able to stay in the game long enough and then get enough stops and had some big possessions down the stretch. Really good program win for everybody, coaches, managers, everybody included.
Iowa advances to the Elite Eight with the victory. Nebraska’s season ends with a record of 28-7.
Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.
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This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: What Iowa coach Ben McCollum said after defeating Nebraska on Thursday
LINCOLN, Neb — Gov. Jim Pillen has appointed Antonio Gomez of Jackson to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, adding a longtime Siouxland business leader and public servant to the panel.
Commission members serve four-year terms and are subject to approval by the Nebraska Legislature.
Gomez launched Gomez Pallets in South Sioux City in 1983. He has since retired from daily operations, but last year the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce recognized him with the W. Edwards Deming Business Leadership and Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.
Gomez previously served on the Nebraska Commission on Latino Americans from 1981 to 2002. He also served as a Dakota County commissioner for 12 years and was on the Foundation Board for Northeast Community College.
Gomez’s appointment is effective April 1.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers will face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. This is the Huskers’ first Sweet 16 in program history, while Iowa is playing in its first Sweet 16 since 1999.
Nebraska defeated Vanderbilt 74-72 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa advanced after beating the defending national champion, the Florida Gators, 73-72.
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CBS Sports reporter Isaac Trotter broke down Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup. Trotter started by looking at the two previous matchups in this series.
These teams have played twice. Iowa won at home in a 57-52 rockfight. Nebraska returned the favor by winning at home, 84-75 in overtime, in another to-the-death brawl.
It’s no secret that Nebraska’s defense caused significant problems for the Iowa offense in the second game, and if the Hawkeyes are going to win the rubber match, Trotter believes that turnovers will be the key.
There are no secrets in the rubber match. Nebraska’s no-middle defense has given Iowa real problems both times. The Hawkeyes turned it over 20% of the time in Game 1 and 26% of the time in Game 2. That can’t happen in the third encounter.
CBS Sports believes that Iowa has the best player on the floor in Bennett Stirtz, but Trotter also believes that Nebraska’s defense is just too much in the end for Iowa.
Iowa has the best player on the floor, Bennett Stirtz, and can hurt Nebraska on the glass, but the Huskers get the nod because of this pick-and-roll defense. You have to be able to guard ball screens effectively to shut down Iowa, and Nebraska has been an elite pick-and-roll defense, rating in the 99th percentile nationally, per Synergy.
In the end, Trotter selected Nebraska as his pick. Should the Huskers advance to the Elite Eight, Nebraska would play the winner of the Illinois-Houston game. Nebraska-Iowa play in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m. CT on TBS.
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Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: CBS Sports predicts Nebraska-Iowa basketball in the Sweet 16
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