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Romney tries to change the subject by promising 'North American energy independence'

The candidate's energy plan includes more oil and gas exploration.

Mitt Romney will try to turn the campaign toward energy policy today, unveiling his plan to bring "North American energy independence" to the United States by the year 2020. Romney plans to discuss the details at a campaign stop in New Mexico on Thursday, breaking down policies the he claims would create 3 million new jobs during his presidency. 

The key planks of Romney's energy plan involve more oil and gas exploration (particularly via offshore drilling) and increased coal production. The "North American" part of that independence means bringing oil in from Canada via the Keystone XL pipeline, which won a key legal battle in the state of Texas yesterday, allowing the oil company behind it to use eminent domain laws to seize land need for the pipeline's construction.

Read more at The Atlantic Wire.