Nebraska's Public Service Commission on Tuesday denied TransCanada Corp's motion to amend its application for a route for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline through the state, a move that the company had hoped would head off legal challenges against the project.
The commission approved a path for Keystone XL last month, but it was not for the preferred route cited in the application. Instead the commission approved an "alternative mainline" route, a move pipeline opponents have said violated state statutes.
After the approval, TransCanada asked the commission if it could retroactively amend the route application, saying it hoped to prevent lawsuits.
(Reporting by Kevin O'Hanlon; Writing by Richard Valdmanis)