TransCanada Corporation has sent a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry calling for the State Department to pause its review of the Presidential Permit application for the Keystone XL pipeline.
The company said it believes there is “sound precedent” for making the request.
Keystone XL is an $8billion infrastructure project which would carry US Bakken crude and Canadian oil to US refineries.
The project could create more than 40,000 jobs and inject millions of dollars of tax revenue into communities along the pipeline’s route.
TransCanada chief executive Russ Girling said: “We are asking State to pause its review of Keystone XL based on the fact that we have applied to the Nebraska Public Service Commission for approval of its preferred route in the state.
“I note that when the status of the Nebraska pipeline route was challenged last year, the State Department found it appropriate to suspend its review until that dispute was resolved. We feel under the current circumstances a similar suspension would be appropriate.”