VIEWPOINT | South Dakota’s economic future hinges on pipeline construction

Guest column by Mike Karbo, Midwest Region Director for the American Petroleum Institute

Mike Karbo (Submitted)

Infrastructure is the backbone of commerce, and commerce is necessary for prosperity.

Highways, railways and power lines weren’t universally popular when they were first built, but today, no one seriously argues that we should dismantle them. Carbon pipelines are no different. They are an essential piece of our state’s future infrastructure, and fighting against them is as shortsighted as opposing roads or electricity.

Carbon pipeline opponents depict them as unsafe and unnecessary. None of those claims hold up. The reality is simple: these pipelines will create jobs, generate tax revenue and ensure that South Dakota maintains its place at the forefront of American energy for years to come. If we reject this investment, the business will go elsewhere, and South Dakota will be left behind.

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