On the recordDecember 7, 2011
I thank the Senator from North Dakota because Senator Hoeven has been a leader on this issue, knowing how important this find is, and how much more capacity we will have for affordable energy in our country if we can extend the pipeline. This is a pipeline that is not just starting from Canada into the United States. The Keystone Pipeline was started in 2008. The initial line moves 590,000 barrels of oil per day from northern Alberta to points in Cushing, OK, and Patoka, IL. The XL extension--which is what we are talking about that is being held up by the State Department--is currently under review. It would expand the system by 700,000 barrels per day--so more than double what we are getting already--and bring the line further south to Texas. Well, now, why is that important? It is because 25 percent of the refinery capacity in America is in Texas. It is in the gulf coast of Texas. That is where the refiners are. We are talking about producing now more affordable energy for all the consumers in our country by bringing it straight down and having it refined and sent back out to all points in America. Otherwise, what my colleagues have just been talking about--Senator Isakson and Senator Hoeven--is that we will see Canada export this to other countries, whether it be China or other countries, and eventually it is going to be coming back into the United States much more expensively to be refined in Texas and sent out.…
