Competitors diminish Keystone XL clout

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DICKINSON, N.D., April 23 (UPI) -- The planned Keystone XL oil pipeline isn't as important to energy security due to new proposals, though it still has a role to play, a Nebraska official said.

Canadian pipeline company TransCanada last week submitted an alternative route for Keystone XL, a pipeline planned from oil sand fields in Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the southern U.S. coast.

The new route avoids the Ogallala Aquifer, a key water supply for the region. The announcement last week was seen as overcoming a hurdle for U.S. approval of the project.

Nebraska Public Services Commissioner Kevin Cramer said a pipeline planned by Oneok Partners from North Dakota and a series of other networks meant Keystone XL was losing its importance, The Dickinson (N.D.) Press reports.

Kramer said Oneok's plan was among the best options, though Keystone XL was important for U.S. energy security.

North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness, however, said that while Oneok's plan was promising, Keystone XL had the commitments needed to advance.

"Keystone is still important to get to the Gulf Coast," he was quoted as saying.