TransCanada is hoping to find a way to let them avoid having to deal with Nebraska's current eminent domain laws.
TransCanada asks Obama to suspend review of Keystone XL pipeline
By Timothy Cama
The company seeking to build the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline is asking the Obama administration to pause the process for reviewing its permit.
TransCanada Corp., which until recently repeatedly pressured President Obama to take action on the permit after seven years of delay, cited Nebraska officials’ review of Keystone’s route in asking for the pause from the State Department Monday.
The request is almost certain to push the timeline for Keystone’s review past January 2017, when Obama’s term will be over and a new a president will take office.
The request follows TransCanada’s move in September to change its method for seeking approval in Nebraska for a process that does not involve using eminent domain and would avoid lengthy and expensive state court battles.
“We are asking State to pause its review of Keystone XL based on the fact that we have applied to the Nebraska Public Service Commission for approval of its preferred route in the state,” TransCanada President Russ Girling said in a statement late Monday.
“I note that when the status of the Nebraska pipeline route was challenged last year, the State Department found it appropriate to suspend its review until that dispute was resolved,” he said. “We feel under the current circumstances a similar suspension would be appropriate.”
Beyond pushing the decision into the next president’s term, TransCanada’s move takes significant pressure off Obama to rule on the pipeline.
This will mean the next president will be the one to make the final call on this project that would significantly increase North America's GHG emissions.
Besides being a potential climatic disaster, the business case for proceeding with the construction of the Keystone XL has also deteriorated along with the precipitous fall in oil prices. No doubt TransCanada is hoping for an oil price rebound during the interim.