Majority of NE senators make push for Keystone XL Pipeline

President Donald Trump’s executive order on pipelines and a recent call by a two-thirds majority of Nebraska’s senators in support of the Keystone XL pipeline have been welcomed by representatives of the pipeline industry.

"As members of the Nebraska Legislature, we are well-versed in the issues and history surrounding the Keystone XL Pipeline and wholeheartedly support the project moving forward," wrote the majority -- 33 of 49 -- of Nebraska's state senators in a March 8 letter to the Nebraska Public Service Commission.

"We respectfully urge the members of the Public Service Commission to approve the route outlined in TransCanada's recent permit application," continues the letter. 

TransCanada, which wants to build the pipeline to make it easier to shift more tar sands crude oil from Canada to refineries in Illinois and Texas, asked Nebraska for approval last month.

This follows Trump’s Jan. 24 executive order in support of the building of the pipeline, which essentially gives the project federal approval and allows the states to proceed with granting permission if they choose. 

Capt. James McCormick (ret.), Bronze and Silver Star recipient and program director at Vets4Energy, said the Keystone XL project is directly related to improving our national security, which "requires a country to have an affordable and stable supply of energy." 

"President Trump's executive removing (of) federal opposition is a huge step toward improving our supply of energy, the jobs transporting and refining that energy and building more energy infrastructure in America," said McCormick. 

A representative for one of the country's leading energy infrastructure groups expressed optimism over the Keystone XL project.

“We’re excited for Keystone XL,” John Stoody, vice president of government relations with Association of Oil Pipelines, told American Security News. “The president’s leadership on the cross-border permit process is greatly appreciated and the recent show of support by a super-majority of Nebraska state legislators shows the remaining state-level approval process is headed in a positive direction there.” 

The senators' letter to the Public Service Commission cites a 2013 Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality report that estimates the project would add $418 million to the state’s economy and support 4,560 new or existing jobs during its construction.

The U.S. State Department, in its environmental impact report on the project, estimates the pipeline would create about 35 permanent jobs in the United States.

“The thousands of Nebraskans we have met over the last eight years understand the value of this project and what it means to the state,” Russ Girling, TransCanada’s president and CEO, said in a press release after it filed a new application with the Nebraska Public Service Commission.

A previous application was withdrawn after the state department signaled its opposition at federal the level. The pipeline requires state approval but has faced fierce resistance from some Nebraska landowners, particularly those in the Sandhillls region of the state. Opposition to the pipeline has been strongest in Nebraska.

In a survey published in February, Pew Research found a wide partisan gap in opinion over Keystone XL. Close to three-quarters (76 percent) of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are in favor, while nearly as many Democrats (74 percent) are opposed.

In total, 42 percent are in favor of construction, with 48 percent opposed, according to the national Pew Research Center survey.

"The Keystone XL pipeline still has some hurdles to clear before becoming a reality, but I'm confident it will be built because the jobs and national security implications are just too strong for the vocal minority of extremists to overcome," added McCormick. "The business community and labor unions support it. Those interested in our national security support it. And now we have a president who appreciates the importance of energy infrastructure."