By Gil Rodriguez
So Whats the Holdup?
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Its not every day an opportunity comes along that will improve U.S. energy security create thousands upon thousands of jobs … AND help us end the seemingly endless string of oil wars".
And do it all without one penny of taxpayer money.
Sound like a slam dunk? It should be. But these days you never know.
The proposed Keystone XL Pipeline will deliver more North American oil yes North American oil to Texas Gulf Coast refineries. Lots of oil. Supporting lots of jobsFor a very long time.
But before it can do that it needs a permit … and Washington has been delaying that decision despite overwhelming evidence this pipeline will be safe and is in our countrys best interest.
Its in our best interest because:
- Part of the oil Keystone XL will deliver is from Canada our friendly neighbor to the north. Canada is already the largest supplier of crude oil to the U.S. … and it has the worlds second largest reserves of crude oil. Talk about a reliable supplier.
- The rest of the oil some 250000 barrels a day is our own U.S.-produced oil from West Texas Oklahoma Montana and North Dakota. Its 100 American oil that is otherwise having a hard time reaching our Gulf Coast refineries. This pipeline will fix that. Talk about a big step forward toward energy independence.
- Building the pipeline will stimulate the economy in a big way just when we need it most.
Its a $7 billion project that includes THOUSANDS OF SHOVEL-READY JOBS. Know anybody who needs a job these days?
$2.3 billion of that money will be spent in Texas. That will stimulate the creation of even more indirect jobs some 50000 Texas jobs in fact at companies supplying the company feeding and housing its workers and the like. And for our veterans who risked their lives in the Middle East.
Add $1.6 billion to the personal income of Texas workers and families. Who cant use some extra dough during this slowdown?
Similar results will occur all up and down the pipeline route which stretches from Montana to Texas.
- Operating the pipeline will provide an even greater stimulus.
Waco economist Dr. Ray Perryman a Nobel nominee by the way studied the economic impact of the pipeline. He estimates that the stability Keystone XL will bring to U.S. oil markets will stimulate the creation of an additional 250000 PERMANENT NEW JOBS. Even more if oil prices continue to rise.
Talk about an effective economic stimulus just waiting to happen.
And did I mention we get all of this without spending one red cent of taxpayer money?
Its all privately funded by a company headquartered in Houston the U.S.-owned subsidiary of TransCanada a North American energy delivery company.
Heres the dilemma. The project is hung up at the federal agency that issues permits the U.S. Department of State (slowly in this case) for pipelines that cross national borders.
The State Department gave it a preliminary seal of approval almost a year ago. And then the nay-sayers showed up ... loudly. Led by the Sierra Club these are folks who pretty much dont like oil and wish we were already an oil-free economy. Dream on. We arent we wont be for a long time and we need more secure supplies of oil in the meantime. But they managed to jam up the works getting the State Department to delay its decision for more study.
This proposed pipeline has been studied every way from Sunday and its time to issue the permits and move ahead. Its safer than shipping from the Middle East or other foreign countries. With the new trouble in the Middle East and South America with the economy stalled and with the need to greatly improve U.S. energy security and reduce reliance on unstable suppliers … it is now time for the permits for this project to be issued.
Let the jobs begin … with our own American and Canadian oil.
Gil Rodriguez is also the State Chief Executive for the American GI Forum of Texas Inc. A Federally Chartered Veterans Organization and is the Managing Editor for the Texas Insider published in Austin Texas.
