The Biden administration approved a major natural gas pipeline project in the Pacific Northwest despite concerns from climate activists.

The Gas Transmission Northwest XPress Project (GTNXP) will upgrade its pipelines, according to the new report.

Biden admin OKs major Pacific Northwest gas pipeline in blow to environmentalists, Dems https://t.co/YcPatSsXHU

— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) October 19, 2023

The statement

"The GTN XPress project will play a critical role in keeping energy affordable and reliable for consumers in California and the Pacific Northwest," TC Energy spokesperson Michael Tadeo told Fox News Digital.

"We appreciate FERC’s bipartisan action today to approve the project and will work diligently to place it into service as soon as possible," he continued.

Federal regulators approved the expansion of a natural gas pipeline in the Pacific Northwest, over the protest of environmental groups and officials in West Coast states. https://t.co/qkMsH7JtL5 https://t.co/Jq34cLvC7e

— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) October 22, 2023

The pushback

"In a statement, Audrey Leonard, staff attorney for environmental nonprofit Columbia Riverkeeper, said it represented a rubber stamp of unnecessary fracked gas in the Northwest' and accused the energy agency of failing to listen to U.S. senators, governors, state attorneys general, tribes and members of the public," Newsmax reported.

"An explosion of that level in eastern Washington or eastern Oregon would be catastrophic,” she said.

BREAKING: Federal regulators have approved the expansion of a natural gas pipeline in the Pacific Northwest over the protest of environmental groups and top officials in West Coast states. https://t.co/xgqxIsoFw9

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 19, 2023

The details

"The 1,377-mile (2,216-kilometer) pipeline runs from the Canadian border through a corner of Idaho and into Washington state and Oregon, connecting with a pipeline going into California," according to the Associated Press.

"Oregon, along with Washington and California, have passed laws requiring utilities to transition to 100% clean electricity sources by 2040 and 2045, respectively," it noted.

Idaho GOP leaders pushed for the effort, arguing that imposing the clean energy laws from other states on the project would be the wrong decision.

Despite Biden's emphasis to stop climate change, the move offers a commonsense response to the energy needs of people in the Pacific Northwest. Despite efforts to transition from oil and natural gas, many Americans will not be able to make the switch in the time frame proposed in Biden's clean energy goals.

The newly approved project will now be closely watched to make sure that the Biden administration does not change its approval as the effort moves forward toward completion.