LINCOLN, Neb. - A Nebraska commission has approved an alternative Keystone XL route through the state, removing the last regulatory hurdle to the $8 billion oil pipeline project.
The Nebraska Public Service Commission voted on the long-delayed project Monday, though the decision could still be challenged in court. The commission was forbidden by law from considering a recent oil spill on the existing Keystone pipeline in its decision.
The alternative route would run farther north than the originally proposed route.
TransCanada Corp.'s plan to build a nearly 1,200-mile pipeline faces intense opposition from environmental groups, Native American tribes and some landowners.
Business groups and some unions support the project as a way to create jobs. President Donald Trump issued a federal permit allowing for the project in March, reversing President Obama administration's rejection of it.