President Obama travels to Oklahoma and Ohio on Thursday for the second day of a tour aimed at highlighting his energy policy.
He started the day in Cushing, Oklahoma, where he addressed his administration's approval for a section of the Keystone XL pipeline that will connect oil fields in that state with refineries in the Gulf of Mexico.
Continuing his message of an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy, he told the crowd in Oklahoma that this policy would create jobs, reduce dependence on foreign oil and help to bring down rising gas prices. This policy, he said, includes new gas and oil exploration in 23 states, but drilling alone will not solve the problem.
The administration faced criticism from Republicans and the energy industry after rejecting the proposed oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico because of environmental concerns. The company proposed a different route for the pipeline and the administration has approved the portion from Oklahoma to Texas, while continuing their study of the northern section, where it would cross an area that provides water supplies to a large population.
Members of congress, the president said, "thought that this might be a fun political issue," but his administration wanted to take the time to study the effects of the pipeline on the water supply.
Later, the president spoke about his energy policy in Columbus, Ohio at The Ohio State University.
On Wednesday, the President visited a solar energy facility near Boulder City, Nevada, and oil fields near Maljamar, New Mexico.
The administration released a fact sheet on President Obama's energy policy, which he has referred to as an "all-of-the-above" approach.