HispanicBusiness

Today the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) announced its support of the controversial Keystone XL project.

TransCanada plans to construct a portion of a pipeline that will extend from Cushing, Okla., to Houston, Texas. Scheduled for a mid- to late-2013 completion date, the $2.3 billion pipeline will create approximately 4,000 jobs and transport 700,000 barrels per day to American refineries along the Gulf Coast, according to USHCC estimates.

Because TransCanada has contracts with over 50 suppliers across the country, the manufacturing sector will directly benefit from the construction of the Gulf Coast Project, according to a USHCC release. The suppliers employ hundreds of subcontractors that provide materials and equipment.

"The USHCC is committed to helping our constituency of Hispanic business owners position themselves as qualified, readily available suppliers for developments like the Gulf Coast Project," the USHCC said in the release.

"As our economy continues to recover, we cannot afford to slow down our pace of job creation through construction and manufacturing that will benefit hundreds of small businesses throughout America," USHCC President and CEO Javier Palomarez said in a statement.

"The Gulf Coast Project is an ideal plan for business communities, both small and large, to rally behind for its potential to help firms fully realize their marketplace potential," he Palomarez added.

"The USHCC backs investments in new projects that will help us meet the world's toughest energy challenges," the USHCC said in the release. "We also support initiatives that create new opportunities in energy production, especially those that lessen American dependence on foreign oil sources. Therefore, the creation of new energy infrastructure, like the Gulf Coast Project pipeline, will help the U.S. access new regionally sourced energy supplies and benefit entrepreneurs with the capacity to provide their services."