The Keystone XL pipeline represents a big step toward true North American energy independence , reducing our reliance on Middle Eastern oil and increasing our access to energy from our own nation and our closest ally , Canada , along with some oil from Mexico -- to 75 % of our daily consumption , compared with 70 % now . That decades-long goal for our country is finally within reach , but we need to stay focused on the big picture , and we need to act . This $ 7 billion , 1,700-mile , high-tech transcontinental pipeline is a big-time , private-sector job creator , and it will also hold down the gas prices for consumers and reduce our energy dependence on an unstable part of the world . Finally , it will do so with good environmental stewardship . That 's why I , along with 44 of my colleagues from across the nation , introduced new legislation to move the project toward approval and construction after President Barack Obama 's rejection of the project last month . Another view : Ted Turner on the case against the Keystone XL pipeline . The Hoeven-Lugar-Vitter amendment to the highway funding bill , which we are now working to pass , authorizes TransCanada to construct and operate the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta , Canada , to the Midwest and Gulf Coast , transporting an additional 830,000 barrels of oil per day to U.S. refineries . This includes 100,000 barrels of crude oil a day from the Bakken region of North Dakota and Montana . That 's key to my state , because providing pipeline capacity and gathering systems for that much North Dakota crude will take as many as 500 trucks a day off of roads in the oil patch . That 's a win-win for producers , state revenues and most importantly , public safety on our Western highways . The Keystone XL project is good for North Dakota , but it is vital for the nation . Some 75 % of the pipe for the Keystone XL pipeline will be made here in North America , 50 % of it in Arkansas . Some 90 % of all other construction materials will come from companies in the United States and Canada . From an environmental perspective , the project has been under review since September 2008 , more than three years , and the State Department 's environmental review , completed in August 2011 , found `` no significant impacts on most resources '' providing environmental restrictions are met . Further , our new legislation includes all federal and state safeguards and sets no time limit on Nebraska 's ability to further review the pipeline 's route through the state , the only portion of the route in contention . Additionally , 80 % of the new Canadian oil sands development is being developed `` in situ , '' meaning , it has a similar carbon footprint and emissions as conventional oil wells . If the Keystone XL pipeline is n't built , Canadian oil will still be produced -- 700,000 barrels a day of it -- but instead of coming down to our refineries in the United States , instead of creating jobs for American workers , instead of reducing our dependence on a turbulent part of the world , that oil will be shipped to China . It will have to be carried there on large oil tankers , creating more carbon emissions , and it will be processed at facilities with weaker environmental safeguards . Finally , it 's important to point out that the Keystone XL pipeline is nothing new . Thousands of pipelines crisscross our nation , delivering refined products to fuel our cars , heat our homes and power our industries . In fact , the original Keystone pipeline , which became operational in 2010 , runs from Alberta through my state of North Dakota . Contrary to claims by critics , the pipeline itself has never leaked . The leaks happened at fittings and seals at above-ground pumping stations , which were properly and promptly fixed . I have worked toward approval of the Keystone XL pipeline , first as governor of North Dakota and now as a U.S. senator , because I believe it helps our nation on so many levels . It is just the kind of project that will grow our economy and create jobs in the right way -- through private-sector investment . The Keystone XL pipeline will also help to wean us from our dependency on oil from volatile regions of the world and help us move toward a true energy independent future . It will make our nation safer and stronger for the American people . Follow CNN Opinion on Twitter . Join the conversation on Facebook .
Keystone XL pipeline would take crude oil from Canada through Gulf Coast to Midwest . Hoeven-Lugar- : It will create jobs , help lead to American energy independence . Hoeven-Lugar- Vitter amendment would allow TransCanada to build the pipeline . TransCanada reports it will have little environmental impact , Hoeven writes .