In a press release on Monday, November, 14, TransCanada announced that it supports legislation that the state of Nebraska is proposing that will move the Keystone XL project forward.
The project, which will deliver oil from Canada’s tar sands to Texas’ refineries, hit a major snag last week when the Obama Administration announced that approval would be delayed until 2013 due to the pipeline’s planned route across environmentally sensitive Nebraska Sand Hills.
“I am pleased to tell you that the positive conversations we have had with Nebraska leaders have resulted in legislation that respects the concerns of Nebraskans and supports the development of the Keystone XL pipeline,” said TransCanada’s president, Alex Pourbaix. “I can confirm the route will be changed and Nebraskans will play an important role in determining the final route.”
According to TransCanada, Nebraska stands to see $150 million in property taxes to county and local governments over the lifetime of the pipeline, in addition to 2,200 construction jobs in the state. Nebraska’s portion of the pipeline would be 275 miles long and include five or six new pump stations.