LANSING, Mich., Oct. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michigan Chamber of Commerce today announced, in cooperation with the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), that 14,382 public comments have been submitted from Michigan residents supporting the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. The comments were submitted to the U.S. Department of State, which must issue the final necessary permit to allow the Keystone XL project to proceed.

"The Michigan Chamber supports the Keystone XL pipeline because of the benefits it provides to Michigan's working families and job providers," said Michigan Chamber President & CEO Rich Studley. "By providing a long-term, stable supply of North American energy, Keystone XL will help boost our nation's energy security and ensure that American consumers have access to affordable energy."

The 1,700-mile proposed Keystone XL pipeline would deliver 700,000 barrels of U.S. and Canadian crude oil per day to refineries along the Gulf Coast in Texas.  Keystone XL received approval from Canada's National Energy Board in 2010, but the project also requires a Presidential Permit from the U.S. Department of State because it crosses an international border. In June, CEA delivered more than 62,000 public comments supporting the project to the State Department, all of which came from people living in the six states through which the proposed pipeline will travel: Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

According to CEA Executive Vice President Michael Whatley, the Keystone XL pipeline will be the safest pipeline ever built in the United States, and construction will help create more than 20,000 jobs nationwide. The pipeline will also generate more than $20 billion in new economic growth for the struggling U.S. economy.

"The 700,000 barrels of oil per day that will flow through Keystone XL will help reduce fuel prices for families coast to coast, and dramatically improve our energy security by reducing our reliance on Middle Eastern oil," noted Whatley. "These comments that we are submitting today from thousands of Michigan citizens reflect what people across the country are saying: We need jobs, we need a stronger economy, and we need to build the Keystone XL pipeline."

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce is a statewide business organization representing approximately 6,800 employers, trade associations and local chambers of commerce. The Michigan Chamber represents businesses of every size and type in all 83 counties of the state. The Chamber was established in 1959 to be an advocate for Michigan's job providers in the legislative, political and legal process. It is one of only four state chambers of commerce in the nation accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

SOURCE Michigan Chamber of Commerce