State Public Utilities Commission member Dusty Johnson says he wouldn't be surprised if it took a year for the PUC to decide on a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

The proposal is for a 1,980-mile, 36-inch oil pipeline to carry crude oil from Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf Coast, cutting through western South Dakota.

The PUC held extensive hearings before approving a construction permit to TransCanada Corp. for an East River pipeline. Johnson says the commission learned much from that experience but added that the new pipeline will have to stand on its own and won't get any less scrutiny.

He says the Keystone XL pipeline would cross land with different soils, topography, animals, stream beds and other factors than the first pipeline.

Construction could start in 2010 if permission is granted.