Secretary of State John Kerry admitted the decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline is more about solidifying the negotiating position of American diplomats in climate change talks than about economic or environmental factors.
In a statement released following President Obama’s press conference announcing Keystone XL’s rejection, Kerry said the “critical factor” in the decision was making sure the United States can be seen as a leader in the fight against climate change. Many scientists blame the burning of fossil fuels for driving climate change and the warming of the planet.
“The reality is that this decision could not be made solely on the numbers — jobs that would be created, dirty fuel that would be transported here or carbon pollution that would ultimately be unleashed,” he said.
It’s a confirmation of what many administration critics charge: that the Keystone XL decision was based on politics and not on analysis of the economic and environmental effects of the proposed pipeline.
The pipeline would have run from Alberta through Montana to South Dakota and Nebraska before heading to the Gulf Coast. The pipeline could have moved as many as 830,000 barrels of oil per day.
Estimates from the State Department show the pipeline would have created tens of thousands of jobs in the United States and Canada. Tar sands oil in Alberta is some of the dirtiest fuel on the planet, but the pipeline itself would have had a negligible impact on climate change.
But, the concern from the Obama administration was more about perception than reality. With countries from around the world headed to Paris for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change at the end of the month, administration officials want to make sure American diplomats are credible when pushing other countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Approving the Keystone XL pipeline, even though it would have had little environmental impact, would have been bad optics.
“The United States cannot ask other nations to make tough choices to address climate change if we are unwilling to make them ourselves,” Kerry said. “Denying the Keystone XL pipeline is one of those tough choices — but it is the right decision, for America and the world.”
Kerry added the pipeline would have had little impact on energy security, wouldn’t lead to lower gasoline prices, wouldn’t be a long-term contributor to the nation’s economy and could affect local communities in a myriad of ways.
The project had been the subject of intense scrutiny from environmental activists since its onset. Green groups were concerned about the pipeline’s proximity to the Ogallala Aquifer that provides groundwater to much of the Great Plains states, in addition to the amount of oil that could have been introduced into the marketplace and its effect on climate change.
But Friday’s decision doesn’t necessarily mean Keystone XL is dead and gone forever.
A senior State Department official said TransCanada, the company looking to build the pipeline, could potentially reapply for a presidential permit under the next administration.
All three Democratic candidates for president have come out against the Keystone XL pipeline while all the Republican candidates are for it. The ball will be in the company’s court in 2017, the official said.
