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CandleFocus Glossary Editor
The Keystone XL pipeline is a proposed 2,687 mile (4,324 km) pipeline system through the United States and Canada. Initially proposed by TransCanada in 2005, TC Energy subsequently took on the project in 2017. The idea was to tap into new deposits of heavy oil coming from oil sands in Canada and transport it to US refineries for refining.
The pipeline was highly controversial for many years. Environmentalists, indigenous rights activists, and other political groups said the Keystone XL would increase Canada’s carbon emissions, put ecosystems at risk, potentially contaminate groundwater, and increase global oil dependence. Furthermore, they argued that, without the Keystone XL, Canada's production of highly polluting tar sands crude oils would remain instead of the pipeline's "outside contribution to global carbon emissions."
Besides environmental concerns, the pipeline raised other issues, such as its potential impact on the local economy and its potential threat to local food sovereignty, as the pipeline would cross overtop traditionally farmed Native American land. Indigenous rights activists have long opposed the project due to worries over potential contamination of traditional hunting grounds, fishing spots, and other environmentally fragile areas.
On January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden officially revoked the construction permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and has since proposed regulations that would end the financing of new fossil fuel infrastructure projects. The decision came after a lengthy public debate and court challenges from both sides of the argument. After the executive order was signed, TC Energy said it would comply with the new regulations and revoke its permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.
The proposed project was a long-term commitment, and Biden's announcement comes after a decade-long fight over its construction. The current Biden administration hopes to set a precedent for future generations and send a strong signal to the world about the United States' commitment to combating the climate crisis. With Biden's rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline, the future of oil infrastructure in North America is now in question.
The pipeline was highly controversial for many years. Environmentalists, indigenous rights activists, and other political groups said the Keystone XL would increase Canada’s carbon emissions, put ecosystems at risk, potentially contaminate groundwater, and increase global oil dependence. Furthermore, they argued that, without the Keystone XL, Canada's production of highly polluting tar sands crude oils would remain instead of the pipeline's "outside contribution to global carbon emissions."
Besides environmental concerns, the pipeline raised other issues, such as its potential impact on the local economy and its potential threat to local food sovereignty, as the pipeline would cross overtop traditionally farmed Native American land. Indigenous rights activists have long opposed the project due to worries over potential contamination of traditional hunting grounds, fishing spots, and other environmentally fragile areas.
On January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden officially revoked the construction permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and has since proposed regulations that would end the financing of new fossil fuel infrastructure projects. The decision came after a lengthy public debate and court challenges from both sides of the argument. After the executive order was signed, TC Energy said it would comply with the new regulations and revoke its permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.
The proposed project was a long-term commitment, and Biden's announcement comes after a decade-long fight over its construction. The current Biden administration hopes to set a precedent for future generations and send a strong signal to the world about the United States' commitment to combating the climate crisis. With Biden's rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline, the future of oil infrastructure in North America is now in question.