Media Advisory: TransCanada Welcomes More Bipartisan Congressional Support for Keystone XL Pipeline Project

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Feb. 11, 2011) - TransCanada Corporation (TSX:TRP) (NYSE:TRP) (TransCanada) today secured support for the Keystone XL pipeline project from 30 Members of the House of Representatives. In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, 30 Republicans and Democrats from 18 states encourage Secretary Clinton to provide the approvals required to move this vital project forward.

The Keystone XL Project's application for a Presidential Permit has been under review since 2008. In their letter to Secretary Clinton, the bipartisan group of 30 House members called the Keystone XL Project

 "…an extraordinary opportunity to put Americans back to work, invest billions into the economy, and improve the security of this nation. Further delays in the approval process will continue to jeopardize this project's realization."

The letter supporting the Keystone XL pipeline project was initiated by Congressman Connie Mack (FL-14^th) in his role as chair of the House Subcommittee of Western Hemisphere. The letter supports the fact and growing recognition that Keystone XL will provide:

• Americans with greater control over their economic and energy future by strengthening ties and trading relationships with Canada, a safe, reliable, responsible and trusted ally
• $20 billion in economic benefit to the American economy
• 20,000 high-quality, well-paying jobs for American workers
• More than $585 million in contribution in taxes for the states and communities along the pipeline route
• An additional $5.2 billion in property taxes over the operating life of the pipeline
• More than $6.5 billion in personal income for Americans
• U.S.-based producers with new options to move crude oil to American refineries.

The House members noted in their letter that the Keystone XL Project "is not only a matter of national interest; it is a matter of national security…As the largest consumer of petroleum products in the world, we currently depend on foreign imports for more than half of our petroleum usage. Dependence on foreign oil has created difficult geopolitical relationships with damaging consequences for our national security."

Urging Secretary Clinton to make the Keystone XL Project a priority and to approve the necessary permit as soon as possible, the group of House members concluded the letter by noting that "as the price at the pump continues to climb, America needs to look to reliable oil producing countries that don't force us to compromise our ideals and national security. Canada is already our largest supplier of oil, a responsible and reliable partner in energy, and a friendly and democratic government that shares the values and ideals of the United States. TransCanada's Keystone XL Project represents a chance to reduce dependence on foreign despotic governments, improve our national security, and strengthen ties with an important ally."

The bipartisan group of 30 House members who signed the letter to Secretary Clinton represent 18 states across the country and serve on the following committees in the U.S. House of Representatives are:

• Rep. Connie Mack IV (R-14/FL), Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
• Rep. Aaron Schock (R-18th/IL), Highways and Transit Subcommittee, Oversight and Government Reform Committee
• Rep. Nick Rahall (D-3rd/WV), Dean of West Virginia Congressional Delegation and Ranking Member on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-15th/TX), House Financial Services Committee, the Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises and the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
• Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-30th/TX), House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
• Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-3rd/UT), House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Committee on the Judiciary
• Rep. Sue Myrick (R-9th/NC), Vice Chairman of Energy and Commerce Committee
• Rep. Dan Burton (R-5th/IN), House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform, House Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-5th/WA), House Energy & Commerce Committee
• Rep. Howard Coble (R-6th/NC), House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Rep. Candice Miller (R-10th/MI), House Committee on Homeland Security and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
• Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-2nd/WV), House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Rep. Tim Holden (D-30th/PA), House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Billy Long (R-7th/MO), House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and the Committee on Homeland Security.
• Rep. Pete Olson (R-22nd/TX), House Transportation & Infrastructure
• Doug Lamborn (R-5^th/CO), House Committee on Natural Resources and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
• Bobby Schilling (R-17^th/IL), House Committee on Agriculture
• Jean Schmidt (R-2^nd/OH), Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere; House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Rep. Paul Broun (R-10th/ GA), House Committee on Natural Resources and Chairman of the Investigations
• Rep. Ted Poe (R-2^nd/ TX), Vice Chair of Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
• Rep. Bill Posey (R-15^th/ FL), House Financial Services Committee and Subcommittee Oversight and Investigations
• Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-6^th/ MN), House Committee on Financial Services and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
• Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-2^nd/ KS), House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Trade and Subcommittee on Oversight
• Rep. David McKinley (R-1^st/ WV), House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Energy and Power, Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade
• Rep. Gene Green, (D-29^th/ TX), House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy (Ranking Member), Subcommittee on Energy and Power, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
• Rep. Bill Flores (R-17^th/ TX), House Committee on Natural Resources and the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
• Rep. Jeff Miller (R-1^st/ FL), House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
• Rep. David Rivera (R-25^th/ FL), Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere; House Committee on Natural Resources and the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
• Rep. Tom Petri (R-6^th/WI), House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Rep. Mike Ross (D- 4^th/AR), House Committee on Energy and Commerce and Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade & Manufacturing

With more than 50 years' experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure including natural gas and oil pipelines, power generation and gas storage facilities. TransCanada's network of wholly owned natural gas pipelines extends more than 60,000 kilometres (37,000 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is one of the continent's largest providers of gas storage and related services with approximately 380 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A growing independent power producer, TransCanada owns, or has interests in, over 10,800 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada is developing one of North America's largest oil delivery systems. TransCanada's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TRP. For more information visit: www.transcanada.com.

To read the full letter from members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent to Secretary Clinton, please open this embedded link. http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/211tcp.pdf.