If we want to create jobs in the U.S. and figure out how to take advantage of our Canadian friends, the oil fields in Canada represent a great opportunity. There is a keystone pipeline that would go from Alberta to Port Arthur, Texas. Making a pipeline to the U.S. for refining oil can make a great partnership and set up thousands of jobs. 

Another aspect that applies to the pipeline is the opportunity to provide a backbone for the smart grid. As you look at the history of the telecom, one of the key ingredients for many companies is their right of way. Level 3, Williams and several others were a result of right of way ownership and a demand for the ability to span geographic areas with fiber. 

If the pipeline were built, the opportunity to deliver a new infrastructure for the smart grid could represent a better wholesale market. As you know, the Rockies represent a natural segmentation between the West and the East. Texas and parts of the South are also separately segmented. The use of pipeline to deliver a backbone for all of the existing grids to update their connection would be a great secondary goal. 

In addition, if the pipeline is used to network the West, the opportunity exists to better support the renewable markets, as well. The South and West represent great opportunities for solar and wind, and the right of way from the pipeline could also be used to supplement the electric backbone.

This should be a no-brainer for Congress to get on-board, so hopefully we will see the strategy approved and some jobs come about as a result.