Trump, Montana Gov Make News on Keystone XL Pipeline

It's a good thing Frank in Malta brought it up. I've been talking about the Keystone XL Pipeline ever since President Trump was elected once again back in November.

We had Montana Governor Greg Gianforte (R-MT) on Monday's Montana Talks statewide radio show with Aaron Flint. He was taking calls from listeners all across the state. We were talking about the governor's visit to the White House over the weekend. That's when Frank in Malta asked if the governor talked with President Trump about the Keystone pipeline.

Aaron Flint: "Governor, did you have a chance to visit with the President about the Keystone XL pipeline, and if it's a go, if it may be a go again. I know I've talked with some Canadians who said they're working on that very thing. The Alberta premier has said as much. What have you been hearing or chatting about?"

Gov. Gianforte: "Well, the economics supporting that project have not changed just because somebody decided they didn't want it to happen. I did talk with Chris Wright, the new Energy Secretary, as well as I've been having some conversations with private sector concerns here in the US that are ready and willing to put the capital forward if they knew they could get the permits. So I just think it's a matter of time. There are- we need more pipelines to get energy to market. The place it's most acute is in the Northeast, where we're importing Russian crude oil to heat homes. In the northeast, when we have nearly unlimited natural gas in Pennsylvania, we just can't get it there because they don't have a pipeline. I think the wind that's coming into the sails for those pipelines is going to help us with Keystone XL as well. It might get reincarnated as a slightly different project. What I've heard is it's probably going to cross the border in the same place, but it might tie into some pipelines in North Dakota, which already have a distribution network in place. So I'm encouraged by what I'm hearing. I don't have specific news to announce, but stay tuned."

Aaron Flint: Interesting. So when you say it might cross in the same place, so it would still cross into Phillips County and then maybe tie into North Dakota from there?

Gov. Gianforte: "Correct."

Within hours, President Trump was posting about this very topic.

President Trump: "Our Country’s doing really well, and today, I was just thinking, that the company building the Keystone XL Pipeline that was viciously jettisoned by the incompetent Biden Administration should come back to America, and get it built — NOW! I know they were treated very badly by Sleepy Joe Biden, but the Trump Administration is very different — Easy approvals, almost immediate start! If not them, perhaps another Pipeline Company. We want the Keystone XL Pipeline built!"