Story highlights "It's a great day for jobs and energy independence," Trump said

The approval follows years of intense debate over the pipeline

Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump announced Friday that his administration has approved the Keystone XL pipeline, reversing the Obama administration's decision to block the controversial oil project.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump officially announced the approval shortly after the State Department issued TransCanada's permit, making good on one of his campaign promises. The approval greenlights the Canadian company to complete construction on the pipeline that will funnel crude oil from Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast.

"It's a great day for jobs and energy independence," Trump said, calling the pipeline "incredible" and "the greatest technology known to man or woman."

Standing alongside his secretaries of energy and commerce, Trump vowed that the pipeline would be the "first of many" energy projects his administration will approve.

TransCanada CEO Russel Girling said he was "very relieved" to see the pipeline approved.

Read More</s>Before the struggle over the Dakota Access pipeline came to the forefront of national news, there was the Keystone XL pipeline. Commissioned in 2010 by the TransCanada corporation, the seven-year-long debate over the pipeline’s future has been symbolic of the fight over the future of the United States’ energy policy in the face of diminishing fossil fuel supplies and climate change.

While former President Barack Obama won the approval of environmentalists in 2015 for his rejection of the pipeline, his successor Donald Trump has now put an end to the debate by officially issuing the necessary permits for the project’s completion. Moments ago, the U.S. State Department issued a presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

“This is a significant milestone for the Keystone XL project. We greatly appreciate President Trump’s administration for reviewing and approving this important initiative and we look forward to working with them as we continue to invest in and strengthen North America’s energy infrastructure.”

Trump’s approval of the pipeline should come as no surprise as he made his position on Keystone XL quite clear months ago when he signed an executive order advancing the pipeline’s approval. One of the ways in which he advanced the pipeline was by shortening the environmental review process, a move which drew consternation from environmental activists and concerned citizens who oppose the pipeline.

Trump, as well as the fossil fuel industry, have argued that the pipeline is essential to securing the nation’s energy independence as it will reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil. However, Obama – when he rejected the pipeline – argued that this was not the case and that the pipeline would also do little to reduce domestic energy costs.

Environmentalists have consistently slammed Trump’s stance on the Keystone XL pipeline. Tom Steyer of NextGen Climate, told CNN that Trump has put “corporate interests ahead of American interests” by supporting and advancing the pipeline, adding that “The pipelines are all risk and no reward, allowing corporate polluters to transport oil through our country to be sold on the global market, while putting our air and water at serious risk.” Now that the pipeline has been officially confirmed, environmentalists are likely to voice their concerns even louder as Trump makes good on his promise to keep the United States on its long-standing and arguably misguided energy policy of fossil fuel dependency.

This article (The Keystone XL Pipeline Was Just Officially Approved) was originally published on Mint Press News and syndicated by The Event Chronicle. Found via Antimedia.</s>Pipeline contractor TransCanada receives presidential permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline, state department says.

The US administration has issued a presidential permit to pipeline contractor TransCanada to build the Keystone XL pipeline.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer tweeted that President Donald Trump would discuss the pipeline later on Friday morning.

The State Department said that it determined that building Keystone serves the US national interest, opposing a conclusion the State Department reached during the Obama administration.

The State Department said it considered foreign policy and energy security in making the determination.

The permit was signed by Tom Shannon, a career diplomat serving as undersecretary of state for political affairs, because Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recused himself due to his previous work running Exxon Mobil.

Keystone will carry tar sands oil from Canada to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration has issued a presidential permit to pipeline builder TransCanada to build the Keystone XL pipeline.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer tweeted that President Donald Trump would discuss the pipeline later Friday morning.

The State Department says that it determined that building Keystone serves the U.S. national interest. That’s the opposite conclusion to the one the State Department reached during the Obama administration.

The State Department says it considered foreign policy and energy security in making the determination.

The permit was signed by Tom Shannon, a career diplomat serving as undersecretary of state for political affairs. That’s because Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recused himself due to his previous work running Exxon Mobil.

Keystone will carry tar sands oil from Canada to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast.</s>FILE - In this Nov. 3, 2015, file photo, the Keystone Steele City pumping station, into which the planned Keystone XL pipeline is to connect to, is seen in Steele City, Neb. Senior U.S. officials say the State Department will recommend approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, clearing the way for the White House to formally approve it. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)</s>U.S. President Donald Trump and TransCanada President Russ Girling were on hand in the Oval Office Friday to announce the Trump administration has signed off on the Keystone XL pipeline project.</s>WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) — President Donald Trump says “it’s a great day for American jobs” after his administration issued a permit to build the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline.

The decision marks a reversal from the Obama administration and clears the way for the $8 billion project to be completed.

The president says the decision ushers in a “new era” of American energy policy and will reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

“Today, we prepare to do things right,” Trump said.

Trump signed an executive order advancing advancing the pipeline back in January. The decision caps a years-long fight between environmental groups and energy industry advocates over the pipeline’s fate.

It’s one of several steps the administration is expected to take in the coming weeks to prioritize economic development over environmental concerns.</s>WASHINGTON — The State Department issued a permit Friday allowing the Keystone XL project to proceed, reversing the Obama administration’s decision to block the controversial oil pipeline.

Tom Shannon, the State Department’s undersecretary for political affairs, issued TransCanada’s permit, making good on one of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises. The move greenlights the Canadian company to complete construction on the pipeline that will funnel crude oil from Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast.

Friday morning, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Trump would make an announcement on the pipeline later in the morning.

The announcement comes in the midst of Republicans’ heated and protracted debate about their Obamacare replacement legislation. A vote is set for later Friday on the bill, though it’s unclear if it will pass and its failure would be a significant political embarrassment for Trump.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil, recused himself from the decision earlier this month. Trump in January signed an executive order to advance the pipeline’s approval.

The approval follows years of intense debate over the pipeline amid hefty opposition from environmental groups, who argued that the pipeline supports the extraction of crude oil from oil sands, which pumps about 17% more greenhouse gases than standard crude oil extraction. Environmentalists also opposed the pipeline because it would cut across the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world’s largest underground deposits of fresh water.

The State Department concluded in January 2015 that the project would create about 42,000 jobs directly and indirectly, but just 3,900 construction jobs if it was built in one year. The pipeline would create 50 permanent jobs to maintain the pipeline.</s>(FOX NEWS) WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has issued a presidential permit to pipeline builder TransCanada to build the Keystone XL pipeline.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer tweeted that President Donald Trump would discuss the pipeline later Friday morning.

The State Department says that it determined that building Keystone serves the U.S. national interest. That’s the opposite conclusion to the one the State Department reached during the Obama administration.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration issued a permit Friday to build the Keystone XL pipeline, reversing the conclusion of the Obama administration and clearing the way for the $8 billion project to finally be completed.

The decision caps a years-long fight between environmental groups and energy industry advocates over the pipeline’s fate that became a proxy battle over global warming. It marks one of the biggest steps taken to date by the Trump administration to prioritize economic development over environmental concerns.

The State Department, responsible for reviewing the project because it crosses an international border, determined that building it serves U.S. national interests. That conclusion followed a review of environmental, economic and diplomatic factors, the department said.

It wasn’t immediately clear what, if anything, had changed since the State Department reached the opposite conclusion two years ago. President Donald Trump planned to address Keystone during an announcement on Friday morning, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Twitter.

TransCanada, the Calgary-based company that first applied for a presidential permit in 2008, called the decision a “significant milestone.”

“We greatly appreciate President Trump’s administration for reviewing and approving this important initiative,” said TransCanada CEO Russ Girling. “We look forward to working with them as we continue to invest in and strengthen North America’s energy infrastructure.”

The 1,700-mile pipeline, as envisioned, would carry oil from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast, passing through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. The pipeline would move roughly 800,000 barrels of oil per day, more than one-fifth of the oil Canada exports to the U.S.

Yet even with a presidential permit, the pipeline still faces obstacles — most notably the route, which is still being heavily litigated in the states. Native American tribes and landowners have joined environmental groups in opposing the pipeline.

TransCanada said Friday it would continue engaging with “neighbors throughout Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota to obtain the necessary permits and approvals to advance this project to construction.”

In an unusual twist, the presidential permit was signed by Tom Shannon, a career diplomat serving in a senior State Department role, rather than by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The former CEO of oil company Exxon Mobil recused himself after protests from environmental groups who said it would be a conflict of interest for Tillerson to decide the pipeline’s fate.

Oil industry advocates say the pipeline will improve U.S. energy security and create jobs, although how many is widely disputed. Calgary-based TransCanada has promised as many as 13,000 construction jobs — 6,500 a year over two years — but the State Department previously estimated a far smaller number. The pipeline’s opponents contend the jobs will be minimal and short-lived, and say the pipeline won’t help the U.S. with energy needs because the oil is destined for export.

President Donald Trump has championed the pipeline and backed the idea that it will prove a job creator. In one of his first acts as president, he invited pipeline company TransCanada to resubmit the application to construct and operate the pipeline. And he had given officials until next Monday to complete a review of the project.

A Trump presidential directive also required new or expanded pipelines to be built with American steel “to the maximum extent possible.” However, TransCanada has said Keystone won’t be built with U.S. steel. The company has already acquired the steel, much of it from Canada and Mexico, and the White House has acknowledged it’s too difficult to impose conditions on a pipeline already under construction.

Portions of Keystone have already been built. Completing it required a permit to cross from Canada into the U.S.

Environmental groups also say the pipeline will encourage the use of carbon-heavy tar sands oil which contributes more to global warming than cleaner sources of energy. President Barack Obama reached the same conclusion in 2015 after a negative recommendation from then-Secretary of State John Kerry.

TransCanada first applied for a permit in 2008. Years of politicking, legal wrangling and disputes over the pipeline’s route preceded Obama’s decision to nix the project. The various delays meant Hillary Clinton never issued a recommendation during her four years as secretary of state.

In rejecting Keystone, the Obama administration argued it would undercut U.S. efforts to clinch a global climate change deal that was reached weeks later in Paris. Kerry’s recommendation against the permit came after lengthy State Department reviews, and it was unclear what justification the agency might now use to explain the change of position.

The Trump administration has dropped fighting climate change as a priority and left open the possibility of pulling out of the Paris deal.

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United States President Donald Trump approves the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.