It’s Official: Keystone XL Rejected by Obama Administration

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

As expected, the Obama administration announced today that they are rejecting the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would take oil from Canada to refineries in Texas. The president said his decision was “not a judgment” on the merits of the pipeline, but on the “arbitrary nature of the deadline.”

Here’s the president’s statement via the White House press office:

“This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people. I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my Administration’s commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil. Under my Administration, domestic oil and natural gas production is up, while imports of foreign oil are down. In the months ahead, we will continue to look for new ways to partner with the oil and gas industry to increase our energy security –including the potential development of an oil pipeline from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico – even as we set higher efficiency standards for cars and trucks and invest in alternatives like biofuels and natural gas. And we will do so in a way that benefits American workers and businesses without risking the health and safety of the American people and the environment.”