TransCanada executive, Alex Pourbaix, Alberta’s former envoy to Washington, DC, Murray Smith, and the chairman of Alberta’s Energy Resources Conservation Board, Dan McFadyen, will be among the witnesses at a hearing scheduled for Monday at which House Republicans will make the case for swift approval of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline that is going through a State Dept. approval process and has drawn opposition from environmentalists.
The hearing will focus on draft legislation that would require the State Department to issue a final decision (in what has been a drawn-out approval process) by Nov. 1.
It’s interesting to note that the legislation is entitled: “North American-Made Energy Security Act.” This suggests some acceptance of the notion that some in Canada have been pushing of “North American” as opposed to “American” energy independence as a goal.
The hearing will be webcast and some of the written testimony is already available here.
Here is the press release:
May 20, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC – Continuing efforts to fight soaring gasoline prices and ensure a more secure energy future, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power, chaired by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), will hold the eighth day of its hearing on the “American Energy Initiative” on Monday, May 23, 2011, at 3:00 p.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building. This day of the hearing will focus on the discussion draft of H.R.____, the “North American-Made Energy Security Act”.
The draft legislation aims to bring more North American oil supplies online by expediting the consideration of the Presidential Permit for the Keystone XL pipeline expansion. The draft legislation requires the president to issue a Presidential Permit decision no later than November 1, 2011. Completion of the Keystone pipeline extension would more than double the current system’s capacity, bringing 1.29 million barrels per day to into U.S. markets.
The hearing is open to the public and press. Opening statements, witness testimony, a copy of the discussion draft, and a live webcast will be available HERE.
WITNESS LIST
The Honorable Dan McFadyen
Chairman
Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board
Mr. Murray Smith
President
Murray Smith & Associates
Mr. Alex Pourbaix
President, Energy and Oil Pipelines
TransCanada
Mr. Stephen Kelly
Assistant General President
United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters
Mr. James Burkhard
Managing Director, Global Oil
IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates
Mr. Jeremy Symons
Sr. Vice President, Conservation & Education
National Wildlife Federation
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