Keystone kills bipartisan energy bill

• The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act was proposed by Rob Portman, a Ohio Republican
• The bill had aimed to reduce energy needs and cut emissions by offering incentives for adopting energy-saving technology such as water heaters with smart meters
• More importantly, the bill had bipartisan support
• As the bill neared the vote, some Republicans tried to attach amendments to the bill to approve Keystone
• Harry Reid (Democrat), Senate Majority Leader, refused the amendment and the amendment's supporters retaliated by blocking the main bill
• TransCanada submitted plans for Keystone six years ago for the US to review
• The pipeline was proposed as a conduit connecting Alberta's oil sands with US Gulf Coast refiners
• TransCanada's Energy East project which would export the oil sands crude to the Atlantic Coast (New Brunswick) may be an easier option as US approval would not be required
• Proponents argue that exporting from the east coast is a valuable option with access to the growing Indian markets and the crude would also support Canadian jobs by supplying refineries in Eastern Canada
• It is also clear that the US no longer needs Canadian crude to help achieve energy independence, a big change since the Keystone plans were submitted