TransCanada has announced that Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman has approved the re-route of the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline through the state.

The latest approval comes after Governor’s review of the final evaluation report from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ).

In addition, it was the last step in the re-route review process established by the Nebraska State legislature.

TransCanada president and CEO Russ Girling said the firm has listened to Nebraskans, to identify a new route for the Keystone XL Pipeline that avoided the Sandhills, and address as many concerns possible.

"The NDEQ process has clearly taken into account the input from Nebraskans and today’s approval of the Nebraska re-route by Governor Heineman moves us one step closer to Americans receiving the benefits of Keystone XL – the enhanced energy security it will provide and the thousands of jobs it will create," Girling added.

"The need for Keystone XL continues to grow stronger as North American oil production increases and having the right infrastructure in place is critical to meet the goal of reducing dependence on foreign oil.

"Keystone XL is the most studied cross-border pipeline ever proposed, and it remains in America’s national interests to approve a pipeline that will have a minimal impact on the environment."

The approved re-route now becomes part of the project’s Presidential Permit application, which is required as the pipeline will cross the Canada/US border.