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Industry Association Releases New Guidance for Pipeline Public Engagement
1st May 2024
The American Petroleum Institute (API) has released a new recommended practice (RP) for pipeline public engagement, RP 1185. The guidance was developed in coordination with federal, state, and local governments, tribal governments, public interest groups, and community leaders alongside representatives from the natural gas and oil industry. RP 1185 provides a public engagement program framework for carbon dioxide (CO₂) pipeline operators to implement throughout the pipeline project life cycle, from siting and design to operation and decommissioning, with the goal of achieving meaningful involvement in the engagement process, developing relationships, and building trust with the public.
Community engagement is a requirement for federal funding through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Under the Justice40 Initiative, applicants for DOE funding must develop a Community Benefits Plan which includes engaging communities as one of its core principles.
CO₂ pipelines link carbon capture facilities to permanent storage sites and are critical infrastructure to achieving net zero emissions in the U.S. Although more than 5,000 miles of CO₂ pipelines exist in the United States, studies suggest the CO₂ pipeline network in the U.S. must grow to a size ranging from 20,000 to 96,000 miles to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Recent focus on CO₂ pipeline development in the U.S. has prompted state legislators and federal authorities to increase safety rules and standards for CO₂ pipelines.
Read the API press release here.