Louisiana House Bill HB840

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/27/26
• Refer: 2/27/26
• Refer: 3/9/26

Caption

ENERGY: Estalishes notice and public hearing requirements prior to issuance of orders, permits, or certificates for carbon dioxide sequestration (OR INCREASE SD EX See Note)

Summary

HB 840 revises Louisiana’s carbon capture and sequestration permitting framework to require more formal public notice and public hearing procedures before the Department of Conservation and Energy secretary issues orders, permits, or certificates under the carbon dioxide sequestration chapter. The bill requires notice to the governing authority of any affected parish and a public hearing to receive public comments before issuance of any order, permit, or certificate. It also specifies that a hearing for public comment must be held in every parish where a carbon dioxide pipeline will be constructed. The bill further amends the process for issuing certificates of public convenience and necessity and certificates of completion of injection operations. Under the proposal, these certificates could not be issued until notice is given and a public hearing is held in the parish where the storage facility is located, with the hearing conducted under the chapter’s notice provisions. The bill also directs the secretary to give substantial consideration to local government comments, whether oral or written, when deciding matters subject to public comment or hearing requirements.

Impact

HB 840 would amend R.S. 30:1105 and 1107 to expand procedural requirements for carbon dioxide sequestration projects, including pipelines, storage facilities, and injection operations. It would not change the substantive technical criteria for approval, but it would add mandatory parish-level notice and public-comment hearings and require the agency to weigh local government input more heavily before issuing approvals. This would likely increase the administrative burden and timeline for carbon capture projects while giving affected parishes and residents a stronger formal role in the permitting process.

Sentiment

The available context suggests the bill is framed as a public-participation and local-control measure rather than a direct restriction on carbon capture itself. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to measure. Based on the bill text, the likely support would come from stakeholders favoring local notice, transparency, and parish involvement, while opposition would likely come from project developers and industry participants concerned about added delay and procedural hurdles.

Contention

The main point of contention is the bill’s expansion of hearing and notice requirements beyond the current framework, especially the requirement for public hearings in every parish where a carbon dioxide pipeline will be built and the mandate to consider local government comments substantially. Supporters would likely argue that carbon sequestration projects can affect local communities and should not proceed without meaningful public input. Opponents would likely argue that the bill could slow or complicate permitting for carbon capture infrastructure, create duplicative hearings, and add uncertainty to project development.