President Obama rejects Keystone XL pipeline proposal

(Image credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

President Obama announced Friday that the White House has rejected the Keystone XL pipeline, ending seven years of speculation about its fate and marking a major victory for environmental groups who have put pressure on the Obama administration. In a press conference, Obama said the pipeline would not contribute meaningfully long-term to the economy, would not lower gas prices for the American consumer, and that there are new clean energy technologies that would be better for the environment than dirty crude oil.

The pipeline would have carried oil from Alberta, Canada, through the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico. Supporters of the project champion its ability to create jobs and curb U.S. dependence on foreign oil, while those against it cite environmental concerns.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.