Curmudgeon's Corner

Keystone XL Might Stand a Chance

Posted by Al Campbell on March 5, 2013

U.S., Quality of Life, Political, Economy

The U.S. State Department has done the nearly unimaginable.  It has published its draft report on the Keystone XL pipeline project and it seems this project would actually be good overall for the U.S.

This report was issued at 4:00PM last Friday.  Curious but not unexpected timing.  This almost assured that Keystone XL would not be discussed over the week-end, and that it stood a good chance of avoiding general public consumption given our ravenous news cycles.

The President will have difficulty in using this State Department report as the rationale to continue to deny the approval of Keystone XL.  That, of course, doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be approved.  There have certainly been many other instances of contra-indicated decisions being taken by this White House.

Among other things, this project would create 42,000+ new jobs in the country at a time when unemployment is quite high.  It would give us access to the oil that would otherwise be sold by Canada to China.  That would give China even a greater advantage over the U.S. than it already holds given the debt we’ve built up with that country.

This does not mean that the project is suddenly a ‘slam dunk’.  There is still the potential that the environmental zealots will find the stronger voice that will convince the White House to find some reason for denying this pipeline project.

We can only hope that this project goes forward for any number of reasons.  Maybe the President will see this, the construction of the keystone XL pipeline, as a part of the legacy he hopes to be remembered for after his second term ends.  Or, maybe he’ll see its denial as part of that legacy.

The State Department just made denial a tougher position to defend.