OK, “Dead” may be hyperbole. a “PAUSE” is more like it.
Still, it’s irrelevant. Put away your party hats.
Industry has a backup plan.
A couple of weeks ago, as Hillary Clinton was making stump speeches, she famously “came out against Keystone XL pipeline”, after years of silence and fence-sitting (as she was selling Fracking to European nations).
Now today, the news is that Enbridge will suspend its application.
(But the blogosphere is reacting as if it were dead).
Guess what? It doesn’t mean … much.
This is mostly election year politics, and a re-alignment for the pipeline companies.
Deals have no-doubt been made.
Bill McKibben observes, “TransCanada is asking for extra time from the referees, and clearly hoping they’ll get a new head official after the election.”
KXL Northern Leg can be Paused, Suspended, or even Killed now.
I predicted it would when Hillary came out against it.
Industry already has another plan, and a backup…
Recall the KXL southern leg renamed the Gulf Coast Pipeline
is already built. (red dotted line, bottom)
Image: Existing KXL Southern leg already is built Cushing OK to Port Arthur TX
Proposed ETC Dakota Access. Notice how it conveniently bypasses
the Nebraska problem area (Ogallala Aquifer and Sand Hills region)
to the East:
Now, here is the proposed Enterprise Partners Pipeline which avoids Nebraska to the West:
It’s about 200 miles from either of these to pick up tar sands from existing
Enbridge pipelines in Canada, e.g., Regina, SK, CA.
Oh, and let’s not forget Line 78 to Flannagan IL.
http://www.desmogblog.com/2015/01/28/enbridge-gets-another-federal-tar-sands-pipeline-permit-senate-debates-keystone-xl
So it’s hard for this observer to call this a win. OK, so it IS a win for Bold Nebraska, as these proposed re-routes avoid the state altogether. However the Ogallala Aquifer is still at risk by the Enterprise pipeline, and Tar Sands Development moves forward…
Leave a Reply