Really?!? Is that why major companies have spent billions expanding the refineries over the last few year?
Along with the existing refineries are existing product pipelines delivering gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, etc. We also have hydrogen pipelines supplying feedstock to the refineries as well as the natural gas and crude oil.
Nebraska is a lot closer to NW and Mid West and Ne markets than Texas and Louisiana.
Sure, but the output isn't limited to only transportation fuelds. And you only trade building one pipeline problem for multiple others. Also, the Nebraska to Gulf Coast portions ins't the main problem, it is already under construction and has been for a while. The problem is getting more from Canada down to Nebraska.
There is nothing magical about the Gulf region except the connections among the oil industry and politicians.
Dollars are the important item. You want to spend billions to replace existing infrastructure and build it away from the existing delivery systems and markets.
You missed my point entirely. What ever is produced in the Gulf is consumed in many markets far away from there. Instead of continuing to invest in the centralization of the industry I think it makes good sense to de-centralize geophraphically. You cite cost but expanding existing facilities isn’t free either. One of these days a Sandy like storm is going to shut down the entire Gulf for an extended period of time. When that happens people are going to ask why we have hardly any refineries anywhere else.