HARDISTY, ALTA. – The Nebraska Supreme Court has approved the Keystone XL Pipeline, prompting praise from Alberta officials.
“Today’s approval is encouraging news for both Alberta and our nation as a whole,” said Alberta Premier Jason Kenney in a statement to media. “This court victory is another step forward for this vital pipeline project after far too many years of regulatory delays and hurdles.”
Kenney added that he was elected on a platform to get pipeline projects built to get the province’s oil and gas resources to market. XL.
“In all of our government’s engagement with U.S. officials, we have consistently stated that this pipeline is critical to North American security and prosperity,” he said. “Alberta is a stable, secure and responsible energy supplier to the United States that can be relied on at a time of geopolitical uncertainty.”
Kenney also lamented that many projects have been obstructed by opponents and expressed gratitude to U.S. officials for approving the project.
“While we welcome today’s decision, Canadians should understand that our country needs to take steps to take control of our own economic future,” said Kenney. “It is essential that the Trans Mountain Pipeline be built, and the federal government’s disastrous ‘No More Pipelines’ Bill (C-69) and West Coast Tanker Ban (C-48) must be repealed so that we can deliver Alberta’s responsible energy to international markets.”
The ruling caps off nearly more than a decade of permitting disputes between environmental advocates and project proponents. The project still faces a federal lawsuit in Montana attempting to block construction and a handful of landowners along the route have not given permission for the work.
The proposed Keystone XL expansion would reach from Hardisty, Alta. and Steele City, Neb. The pipeline would have the capacity to transport up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day to Gulf Coast and Midwest refineries.
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