Summit Carbon Solutions last week announced it has now obtained voluntary access to more than 50 percent of the land on its proposed pipeline route, which runs through 18 South Dakota counties.

The announcement comes in the wake of the recent defeat of Democrat Jeff Barth, who based his Public Utilities Commission bid on opposition to the project.

Taken together, those two facts could signal rising support for the project.

NEWS: Despite unresolved lawsuits, Summit officials say CO2 pipeline on track for 2024 completion