by Blaise Emerson, executive director of Black Hills Community Economic DevelopmentYou can’t pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV without hearing about it. Jobs.America is short on them. And while Western South Dakota is fortunate enough to have not been hit as hard as the rest of the country, it doesn’t mean we’re not hurting.As Executive Director of Black Hills Community Economic Development, I know all too well the obstacles economic growth faces.But I recently learned about something that could help us overcome these challenges– the Keystone XL Pipeline.The fact is the Keystone XL pipeline will create more than just hundreds of jobs directly. It will create even more jobs and economic growth indirectly.Economic growth requires job creation; job creation requires the creation or expansion of small businesses; small businesses require customers.With a large migration of pipeline workers and their families, our area will experience significant population growth. All these people will become consumers, and where there’s more people, there’s more demand, which creates more jobs.That’s why we signed on to join the Partnership to Fuel America, a new initiative featuring individuals and business owners who understand the benefits that a project like Keystone XL would bring to our community.When our organization learned about the partnership, we instantly saw the potential for economic growth the Keystone XL represents.Read more here.