Keystone XL Receives Support from More than 450,000 Americans
Pipeline project will create jobs, lower fuel prices, increase energy security
WASHINGTON, DC – Today Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Ports-to-Plains Alliance announced that they have submitted more than 450,000 public comments calling on the U.S. Department of State to allow construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. The comments, which come from residents in states all across the country, demonstrate strong support for the project among Americans from numerous backgrounds.
CEA Executive Vice President Michael Whatley commented on the broad support that exists for the project:
“The shear breadth of these comments shows that Americans are ready to get back to work while moving toward a more secure energy future. Keystone XL will deliver 700,000 barrels of U.S. and Canadian crude oil per day to refineries along the Gulf Coast in Texas and will be the safest pipeline ever constructed in the United States. Each barrel that flows through Keystone XL is another barrel we don’t have to buy from places like Venezuela and the Middle East. In addition to being the safest pipeline ever built, the project will create more than 120,000 American jobs, strengthen our economy and lower fuel prices for American families coast to coast.
“The American people have spoken loudly and clearly in favor of Keystone XL. We simply cannot afford to delay this critical project any longer, especially as millions of Americans across the country struggle to find work.”
NAM Vice President Chip Yost added:
“The Keystone XL pipeline project is estimated to create 20,000 high-paying manufacturing and construction jobs and will provide access to affordable sources of energy. Manufacturers use nearly one third of our nation’s energy supply, so reliable, affordable energy is critical to global competitiveness. We encourage action by the State Department and President Obama to avoid further delay or additional red tape. Our nation’s economy is stalled and Americans need jobs — we hope the Administration will act quickly and move this project forward.”
ATA Vice President and Regulatory Counsel Rich Moskowitz commented on the benefits of increasing supplies of North American crude to U.S. markets:
“Diesel fuel is the lifeblood of the American trucking industry. The State Department can help ensure that the 18-wheelers that deliver America’s essential goods like food, clothing and medicine have reliable access to that fuel by approving the Keystone XL project. The development of this important project will provide a stable, long-term supply of crude oil from Montana, North Dakota, and Canada — one of our strongest and most loyal allies — to refineries in the United States. The United States’ reliance on overseas oil places U.S. consumers at greater risk of supply disruptions and damaging price spikes. This pipeline will enhance our energy security.”
Michael Reeves, President of the Ports to Plains Alliance added that the economic impact of the project will be welcome in the states where the pipeline will be built:
“As leaders from the region that the Keystone XL pipeline will traverse, our members applaud the State Department’s thoroughness during this approval process. The department has fully analyzed the project’s environmental impact and the Final EIS rightfully concludes that there are no substantial environmental concerns that should prevent the construction of this valuable infrastructure project. They also understand that Keystone XL will provide significant economic benefits for our region — including the contribution of more than $5.2 billion in tax revenues to the Keystone XL corridor states — and call on the State Department to grant the Presidential Permit and allow construction of this important project.”
CEA partnered with a number of groups throughout the country to ensure the voices of everyday Americans were heard in this important discussion:
American Trucking Associations
Associated Industries of Florida
Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce
Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association
Mississippi Trucking Association
National Association of Manufacturers
Nebraskans for Jobs and Energy Independence
North Carolina Chamber of Commerce
Mid Continent Oil & Gas Association of Oklahoma
Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association
South Carolina Trucking Association
South Dakota Chamber of Commerce
Texas Manufacturers Association
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce
The 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline project received approval from Canada’s National Energy Board in 2010, but the project also requires a Presidential Permit from the U.S. Department of States because it crosses an international border. Once completed, Keystone XL will deliver 700,000 barrels of crude oil from Oklahoma, the Dakotas, Montana and Alberta to refineries in the Gulf Coast region.
