FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2015
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton revealed her stance on the Keystone XL Pipeline this week, once again bringing to light the debate over the long-running pipeline plan.
On Tuesday (Sept. 22), Clinton came out against the 1,700-mile oil pipeline from Alberta to the Gulf Coast.
The project plan, which has been on the books since 2008, was placed on hold in February following a presidential veto but remains under his administration’s review.
Clinton, who had remained cagey regarding her position on the project throughout her campaign, made her views known when answering a question posed by Drake University student, the National Journal reported.
Hillary opposes the Keystone pipeline. Read why: http://t.co/Yttouh5fA4 pic.twitter.com/C85aNV07ii
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 23, 2015
In a transcription of comments released by her campaign, Clinton’s response was: “I think it is imperative that we look at the Keystone Pipeline as what I believe it is—a distraction from the important work we have to do to combat climate change, and unfortunately, from my perspective, one that interferes with our ability to move forward to deal with all the other issues. Therefore, I oppose it.”
While her stance pleases environmentalists, it does not speak to labor unions and other pipeline proponents. The American Petroleum Institute, for one, shared its disappointment in her announcement.
“Hillary Clinton’s decision to oppose Keystone is a missed opportunity to seize the true potential of our energy renaissance,” Jack Gerard, API’s president told the Journal. “It is most unfortunate for American workers and consumers that she has joined the forces of delay and denial.”
Pipeline Support by the Numbers
The majority of registered voters—68 percent—support the Keystone XL project, according to an American Petroleum Institute survey. In API figures shared in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce site Above the Fold, the pipeline has the backing of 91 percent of Republicans, 62 percent of Independents and 52 percent of Democrats.
Additional API poll results were posted in API’s Energy Tomorrow blog:
Construction of the pipeline, as reported in Above the Fold, would bring the U.S.:
The Hillary Plan
Clinton is not against increasing investment in energy infrastructure, however.
On Wednesday (Sept. 23), Clinton revealed her strategy to modernize the U.S. energy infrastructure, The Hill reported.
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Hillary Clinton followed up her announced opposition of the Keystone XL Pipeline with her own plan to modernize the U.S. energy infrastructure. |
She published a statement explaining her Keystone XL opposition, with a focus on climate change and potential health, safety and environmental impacts, and introducing her infrastructure update plan on the blogging site Medium.
In her opinion, her approach would be a better way to create lasting jobs, be reliable and affordable, and, by not focusing on fossil fuels, would be better for the environment.
Clinton wrote: “We shouldn’t be building a pipeline dedicated to moving North America’s dirtiest fuel through our communities—we should be focused on what it will take to make America the clean energy superpower of the 21st century.
“For too long, the Keystone XL pipeline has been a distraction from the real challenges facing our energy sector—and the job-creating investments that we should be making to meet them. Building a clean, secure, and affordable North American energy future is bigger than Keystone XL or any other single project.”
A fact sheet on the Clinton campaign website details the scope of the plan. It addresses three areas: making the energy infrastructure safer and cleaner, unlocking new investment resources, creating a North American Climate Compact.
The safety aspect includes:
The Clinton investment plan includes:
The North American Climate Compact would set “ambitious national targets,” coordinate policy approaches and institute strong accountability measures related to the group’s goals.
According to The Hill, many of these elements have either already been considered by the current administration or are improvements on existing polices.
The Pipeline Journey
The Keystone Gulf Coast Expansion Project would carry up to 830,000 barrels of oil sands crude (also known as tar sands crude) from Canada to Texas for refining. The 875-mile segment of line from Alberta to Steele City, NE, requires a Presidential Permit to cross the U.S.-Canadian border.
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| TransCanada Corporation |
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According to an American Petroleum Institute poll, 68 percent of registered voters support construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. |
The pipeline's bipartisan backers say the project has been exhaustively evaluated and would provide jobs and energy security.
Pipeline owner TransCanada has accepted dozens of federal conditions attached to the project and has rerouted the line away from the most environmentally sensitive areas.
Environmentalists and other critics call the project both unnecessary and environmentally risky. The system would carry tar-sands crude, which is reported to be heavier and more corrosive than regular "sweet" crude.
Project foes also question TransCanada's operating record. The first 1,300 miles of the Keystone system saw 14 leaks and spills in the first 14 months of operation.
In February, President Obama blocked the Republican bill that would have advanced the proposal, leaving the project in limbo.
In March, the Senate attempted to override the president’s veto but failed to reach the required two-thirds majority.
Since February, the proposal has been under review by the U.S. State Department.
TransCanada CEO Russ Girling intends to pursue federal approval to build Keystone XL, even if Obama rejects it, the Journal reported Tuesday.
“Our focus remains on securing a permit to build Keystone XL. 17,000 pages of scientific study have concluded that Keystone XL would have minimal impact on the environment,” TransCanada spokesman Davis Sheremata told the site.
Tagged categories: Environmental Protection; Health and safety; Oil and Gas; Pipeline; Pipelines; Program/Project Management
