06.21.13

Hoeven Meets with TransCanada Leaders to Move Forward Keystone XL Pipeline

WASHINGTON –Senator John Hoeven this week met with TransCanada President and CEO Russ Girling and TransCanada President of Energy and Oil Pipelines Alex Pourbaix to move forward the Keystone XL pipeline project. Hoeven is working with the Canadian business leaders to secure approval for the project, which will create jobs, provide greater energy security to the United States, and provide much needed energy infrastructure.

“Canada is one of the United States greatest friends and allies. We need to secure a long-term energy relationship with our northern neighbors and approve the Keystone XL pipeline,” said Hoeven. “After reviewing this project for close to five years, it’s past time for the Administration to approve it. The Keystone XL pipeline project will not only create good jobs, help our nation become more energy secure and provide us with much needed energy infrastructure. We need the jobs. We need the energy. We need the Keystone XL pipeline.”

The TransCanada leaders said they are making every effort to show that they are meeting the environmental standards required by the State Department and to attain a final environmental impact statement. Every study conducted by the State Department has found no significant impacts to the environment.

The Keystone XL pipeline will be monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and satellites will send data from 25,000 data points to the pipeline’s monitoring center. If a drop in pressure is detected, any section of the pipeline can be isolated remotely, closing any of the hundreds of valves on the system within minutes.

In March, Hoeven got a bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate to vote in support of the Keystone XL pipeline, with a filibuster-proof majority of 62 to 37. The senator continues to press the Administration’s to approve the 1,700 mile, modern, energy infrastructure project.

The Keystone XL pipeline will carry 830,000 barrels of oil from Canada to refineries in the United States, including 100,000 barrels from Montana and North Dakota. The Department of Energy confirms that the transported oil will be refined and used in the United States.