WASHINGTON -- North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven and three other senators on Tuesday introduced an act they say would streamline energy infrastructure projects like the Keystone XL by eliminating the presidential permit requirement when crossing the Canadian or Mexican border, according to a release from Hoeven’s office.
The announcement coincides with the Keystone XL entering its sixth year of review as President Barack Obama weighs whether to approve it.
The North American Energy Infrastructure Act also:
- Imposes a 120-day limit on the State Department to either approve or deny after the completion of the National Environmental Policy Act review.
- Focuses the NEPA review on the border-crossing section of the pipeline and leaves the rest of the siting to states.
- Requires the Department of Energy approve natural gas pipeline permits within 30 days.
“With our closest friend and ally Canada, we can produce more energy than we use, but we can’t get to the point of energy independence without the infrastructure necessary to achieve it,” Hoeven said in a news release.
