Jordan Cove fight just getting started?

This project has already had more twists than a daytime soap opera and the latest development sets up a clash between the state of Oregon and the federal government that will probably need to be resolved in court.

Nevertheless, western Colorado supporters of the $10 billion project — which would allow natural gas produced here to be carried by pipeline to an export terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon — were quick to hail FERC’s decision as an apt response to the economic shockwaves emanating from the coronavirus pandemic.

“Approving Jordan Cove in a time of great economic uncertainty restores some faith for many energy workers living in western Colorado,” U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, said in a statement included in Dennis Webb’s reporting. “Providing a cleaner and abundant energy source for our allies in the Pacific will no doubt be an economic driver in our communities for years to come.”

Predictably, FERC came under fire from some Oregonians for announcing a decision in a time of crisis, when some residents can’t even leave their homes. We can’t disagree that the optics aren’t good. When the news cycle has been dominated by all things coronavirus, the timing of the decision suggests the administration’s priorities are out of whack.

As Webb reported, the Canadian company pursuing the project, Pembina Pipeline Corp., has succeeded in getting permits on the local and federal level, but has been unable to get critical permits from the state of Oregon, three of which have either been denied or seen the application withdrawn.

So, Pembina is asking Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to override state-level rejection of the project. Neither FERC nor the Army Corps of Engineers can grant a license or permit for the project unless Ross overrides an Oregon permit denial, even with FERC’s approval of the project Thursday.

If Ross overrules the state-level decision, the state can challenge that action. Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat, has already objected to FERC’s approval and said he now opposes the project.

The wait is on for a decision that will either end this saga or set up a battle between the national interest and Oregon’s right to determine what’s best for its coastal region and its private landowning citizens who don’t want a pipeline crossing their property.

That puts western Colorado, champions of self-determination, in an awkward position. If the shoe was on the other foot, would we be OK with the feds overriding our state authority? Or would we call that overreach?

Root for the diplomats to find common ground.