Secretary Ken Salazar Touts Obama Energy Accomplishments, Transcanada Announces New Route for Keystone Pipeline

Energy Policy took a front seat at the Democratic National Convention with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar as the big energy draw last night.  Salazar touted the Administrations energy achievements including reduced oil imports, record ntural gas production, maturation of the renewable energy industry and job creation in the energy sector.  The Secretary brought up the 2008 mantra of the Republican energy platform, Salazar asked the audience, "Where did the old 'drill baby drill' get us?  And now where would the same Romney/Ryan approach take us?".  Calling the Republican attitude on energy "reckless and backwards, he said they are "locked in an ideological embrace with failed policies of the past".  

As expected, the company building the Keystone XL Pipeline, TransCanada, has proposed a new route througout Nebraska for the pipeline which would avoid avoid the Sandhills, a region of prairie and sand dunes that is rich in plants and wildlife with thousands of ponds and lakes.  The President had delayed approval of the northern half of the project citing concerns about these environmentally  sensitive areas.  While this was largely viewed as a political nod to the environmenatl community, there were many citizens of Nebraska that felt the same concerns and this new route is based on extensive communications with citizens and state officials of Nebraska.  TransCanada has said it hopes to have U.S. State Department approval for the northern section early next year.