ENERGY: Prohibits any carbon capture operations under a scenic river

HB 878 prohibits the permitting of carbon dioxide (CO2) storage beneath Louisiana's designated natural and scenic river systems. It directly affects carbon capture project developers seeking underground storage sites under these rivers, as the bill blocks permits for such operations. The key provision amends state law to explicitly ban geologic CO2 storage beneath rivers listed in the scenic river system designation (R.S. 56:1840 et al.), regardless of other legal provisions. This policy change prevents new carbon capture projects from using riverbeds as storage locations.