Pipeline developer TransCanada cheered Friday’s ruling by the Nebraska Supreme Court, which cleared the way forward for the Keystone XL pipeline in the state, adding that the project will happen regardless of the president’s ultimate decision.
“We need a pipeline in place between these two locations and that will occur,” Russ Girling said of the Canada-to-Texas pipeline on a call with reporters Friday.
{mosads}”Our shippers remain committed. We are a market-driven company and as long as the need exists we will continue to push for a pipeline,” he added.
Girling said the company was “pleased” with the ruling, and urged President Obama to quickly restart the ongoing review at the State Department, which was placed on hold due to the Nebraska case.
“It removes the stated reason for the delay in the permit process,” Girling said. “We hope we can get on with the approval in a very, very short time frame.”
Girling wouldn’t get into the political debate raging between the newly empowered Republican-controlled Senate and the White House, but he did say he thinks lawmakers who back the pipeline are skeptical of “further delay.”
“Given the decision, it’s more important that we get to a conclusion sooner rather than later,” he said.
Girling said it will be up to the U.S. Congress to determine whether or not they want shippers to pay into the oil spill trust fund. It’s an amendment currently being floated by Democrats in the Senate.
Ultimately, Girling said, “the demand continues to be there and support continues to be there.”
Opponents of the pipeline haven’t said whether they will continue to push back against the ruling in Nebraska.
Many are looking to Obama to reject the pipeline now that the court has released its decision.
“President Obama is now free to act and reject Keystone XL outright. No matter the route, as long as the pipeline is carrying tar sands oil it is a global warming disaster and fails the President’s climate test,” May Boeve, executive director of climate group 350.org, said in a statement.