Keystone XL Finds Unlikely Supporter In Democrat Presidential Hopeful

The Governor of Montana, Steve Bullock, has broken away from the Democrat’s strong pro-climate change stance and threw his support behind the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, according to the Associated Press, with the caveat that it needed to be done right.

Bullock is one of many in an overcrowded Democrats throwing his hat in the ring for President of the United States in 2020.

Bullock reached out directly to millennials using Facebook to hold a town hall discussion about climate change, and specifically on how to reduce emissions in Montana. The governor appeared taken aback by the question as to where Keystone XL fits into this plan, but noted that it is far riskier to haul the oil over land.

Bullock also announced today that North Dakota would join the climate change council—the council developed for individual states to address the effects of climate change—after the federal government pulled out of the Paris Climate Deal, fulfilling one of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises.

Bullock has a spotty climate record among fellow democrats, and likely will get pursed lips from some of the more progressive members of the party, such as AOC who has an all-in climate stance. Bullock’s stance on the climate consists of lukewarm support for the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, and vehement support for solar energy that calls for a 400 percent increase, and 200 percent increase for wind power. To do this, Bullock would re-enter the Paris Climate agreement.

A Montana court lifted in early June the injunction that halted construction on the Keystone XL pipeline that would move 830,000 barrels of crude oil daily from Canada to the United States. But the delays on the pipeline thus far, already have made it impossible to begin work in 2019

Despite the ruling, opposition to the pipeline is expected to continue.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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