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HB0244 • 2025

Carbon dioxide pipelines-eminent domain prohibition.

AN ACT relating to eminent domain; prohibiting persons from using the power of eminent domain to place pipelines conveying carbon dioxide for the purposes of carbon capture, utilization or storage; specifying applicability; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.

Energy
Inactive

Wyoming marks this bill as inactive, which usually means it is no longer moving in the current session.

Sponsor
Representative Winter
Last action
2025-03-03
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation includes details not directly supported by the official source material, such as updating existing laws about eminent domain rights for utilities and pipeline companies.

Ban on Using Eminent Domain for CO2 Pipelines

The bill stops people from using the power of eminent domain to build pipelines that carry carbon dioxide for capturing, storing, or utilizing it.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits persons from using the power of eminent domain to place pipelines conveying carbon dioxide for purposes of carbon capture, utilization, or storage.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Companies planning to build CO2 pipelines.
  • People who might lose their land if a CO2 pipeline is built on it.

Terms To Know

eminent domain
The power of the government or companies to take private property for public use, usually with compensation.
carbon capture
A process that captures carbon dioxide from industrial sources and stores it underground instead of letting it go into the air.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill only affects new projects starting after July 1, 2025.
  • It does not change how other types of pipelines or utilities can use eminent domain.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-03 House

    H:Died in Committee Returned Bill Pursuant to HR 5-4

  2. 2025-02-07 House

    H No report prior to CoW Cutoff

  3. 2025-01-22 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H05 - Agriculture

  4. 2025-01-20 House

    H Received for Introduction

  5. 2025-01-17 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
25LSO-0398
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0398
Introduced
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0244

Carbon dioxide pipelines-eminent domain prohibition.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Winter, Allemand, Angelos, Strock and Wharff and Senator(s) Steinmetz

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to eminent domain; prohibiting persons from using the power of eminent domain to place pipelines conveying carbon dioxide for the purposes of carbon capture, utilization or storage; specifying applicability; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 1
‑
26
‑
814 and 1
‑
26
‑
815(a) are amended to read:

1
‑
26
‑
814.

Right of eminent domain granted; exceptions; petroleum or other pipeline companies; purposes.

(a)

Whenever any utility or any petroleum or other pipeline company, authorized to do business in this state, has not acquired by gift or purchase any land, real estate or claim required for the construction, maintenance and operation of their facilities and appurtenances or which may be affected by any operation connected with the construction or maintenance of the same, the utility or company has the right of eminent domain and may condemn the easement required by the utility or company
, except as provided by subsection (b) of this section
.

(b)

No person shall use the power of eminent domain to place pipelines for the purpose of conveying or storing carbon dioxide for the purpose of carbon capture, utilization or storage in order to meet the low
‑
carbon energy standards specified under W.S. 37
‑
18
‑
101 and 37
‑
18
‑
102.

1
‑
26
‑
815.

Right of eminent domain granted; ways of necessity for authorized businesses; purposes; extent.

(a)

Except as provided by W.S. 1
‑
26
‑
814(b), a
ny person, association, company or corporation authorized to do business in this state may appropriate by condemnation a way of necessity over, across or on so much of the lands or real property of others as necessary for the location, construction, maintenance and use of reservoirs, drains, flumes, ditches including return flow and wastewater ditches, underground water pipelines, pumping stations and other necessary appurtenances, canals, electric power transmission lines and distribution systems, railroad trackage, sidings, spur tracks, tramways, roads or mine truck haul roads required in the course of their business for agricultural, mining, exploration drilling and production of oil and gas, milling, electric power transmission and distribution, domestic, municipal or sanitary purposes, or for the transportation of coal from any coal mine or railroad line or for the transportation of oil and gas from any well.

Section 2.

This act shall apply to carbon capture, utilization and storage projects for which construction commences on or after July 1, 2025.

Section 3.

This act is effective July 1, 2025
.

(END)

1
HB0244