Thousands in Wisconsin Call for Approval of Keystone XL
MADISON – Today the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce announced, in conjunction with Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), that it has submitted 14,930 public comments from Wisconsin residents supporting the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. The comments were submitted to the U.S. Department of State, which must issue the final necessary permit to allow the Keystone XL project to proceed.
In response, Scott Manley, Director of Environmental & Energy Policy for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, issued the following statement:
“Wisconsin businesses need access to affordable and reliable sources of energy to remain competitive in today’s global market. The Keystone XL pipeline will benefit businesses and consumers in Wisconsin by stabilizing our energy supplies with oil from Canada, our primary trading partner. These comments demonstrate Wisconsinites understand that stable and reliable sources of energy will result in lower prices for businesses and consumers alike. The Keystone XL project is a win-win for consumers and jobs.”
Added CEA Executive Vice President Michael Whatley:
“The Keystone XL pipeline will be the safest pipeline ever built in the United States, and construction will help create more than 20,000 jobs nationwide. The pipeline will also generate more than $20 billion in new economic growth for the struggling U.S. economy. The 700,000 barrels of oil per day that will flow through Keystone XL will help reduce fuel prices for families coast to coast, and dramatically improve our energy security by reducing our reliance on Middle Eastern oil. These comments that we are submitting today from thousands of Wisconsinites reflect what people across the country are saying: We need jobs, we need a stronger economy, and we need to build the Keystone XL pipeline.”
The 1,700-mile proposed Keystone XL pipeline would deliver 700,000 barrels of U.S. and Canadian crude oil per day to refineries along the Gulf Coast in Texas. Keystone XL received approval from Canada’s National Energy Board in 2010, but the project also requires a Presidential Permit from the U.S. Department of State because it crosses an international border. In June, CEA delivered more than 62,000 public comments supporting the project to the State Department, all of which came from people living in the six states through which the proposed pipeline will travel: Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
