On April 18, the U.S. Department of State issued a notice granting more time for intra-agency review of the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. The State Department’s press release did not explicitly state a timeline for continued review, reasoning that litigation currently moving through the Nebraska Supreme Court that could affect the pipeline route. The press release also cited 2.5 million public comments on the Keystone XL awaiting review as a basis for the extension.

The extension comes on the heels of a letter sent by eleven Democratic senators asking President Obama to issue an Executive Order approving the pipeline. Nine of the eleven authors face challenges for re-election this November. Election results in these energy-minded states could prove critical in determining the next Senate majority.

Sources: E&E News, U.S. Department of State, Senator Mary Landrieu