DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Legislation that would make it harder for two energy projects to win eminent domain rights has passed another legislative hurdle in the Iowa Senate.
The Senate Government Oversight Committee approved the bill Tuesday. Under the proposal, a project seeking eminent domain to build through private properties could get permission only after negotiating voluntary deals for at least 75 percent of the affected land.
The proposed change could impact two current proposals, both before the Iowa Utilities Board. One is to build an oil pipeline that would ship 450,000 barrels daily from production sites in North Dakota to an oil hub in Illinois. The other proposal is to build an electrical line across 16 Iowa counties that would transmit wind-generated energy from Iowa to customers in the Midwest and East Coast.
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