TransCanada mulls options for Keystone XL

TransCanada is weighing the pros and cons on Nebraska Public Service Commission’s decision regarding its Keystone XL Pipeline through the state. The agency approved the project, but decided upon an alternative route, which TransCanada CEO Russ Girling says could mean a change of plans. “We will conduct a careful review of the Public Service Commission’s ruling while assessing how the decision would impact the cost and schedule of the project,” Girling said. The preferred route represented the shortest footprint from Hardesty, Alberta, to Steele City, Neb. The alternate route, the Mainline Route, extends the pipeline by 5 miles and would require TransCanada to add a pumping station and transmission lines. Nebraska PSC’s chosen route also takes the pipeline through more habitat of species listed as threatened and endangered and through more areas with highly erodible soils, potentially increasing legal issues for TransCanada. Meanwhile, a pending federal case challenging the Trump administration’s cross-border permit could altogether block the project.