Billionaire to raise pressure on Keystone

Billionaire Tom Steyer plans to renew his fight against Keystone XL in Washington on Monday.

NextGen Climate Action, founded by Steyer, will host a summit where participants will argue the Keystone XL pipeline proposed by TransCanada Corp. cannot pass President Obama’s climate test.

{mosads}In June, Obama said he would not approve Keystone if it “significantly exacerbates” carbon emissions.

“It seems like an important question to ask then: Will Keystone XL pass or flunk,” said Mike Casey, consultant for NextGen Climate Action.

Steyer is opposed to the pipeline project — which would carry oil from the tar sands in Alberta, Canada to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico — and wants to stay engaged in the issue, Casey said.

“Tom is a strong supporter of the president and thinks he can make an important contribution,” he added.

Lobbyists on behalf of the tar sands have said there are no signs that the pipeline would leave a carbon footprint, something Steyer disagrees with.

He will make the case that Keystone XL will “unlock” tar sands and increase the country’s carbon footprint.

Since its launch in early 2013, Steyer’s climate group has been a loud voice on the climate issue.

The group touts an online community of roughly 300,000.

Steyer wants to make sure climate change becomes a “dinner table” conversation for the nation’s families, Casey said.

In June, Steyer wrote an open letter to Obama that highlighted his opposition to Keystone, and his intention to ask supporters of Obama to pressure the president on the issue.