• Background of Keystone XL

The Keystone XL pipeline is a 1,200 mile pipeline that will safely deliver crude oil from Canada and North Dakota to the United States. First proposed in 2008, the $8 billion pipeline would deliver over 800,000 barrels of oil a day.  Its construction supports over 13,000 Canadian and American workers in the building trades.

The Keystone XL pipeline is one of the most studied infrastructure projects in American history, with numerous revisions and updates to reflect environmental and community concerns. Several extensive regulatory studies conducted over the past decade as part of an unprecedented regulatory review concluded the pipeline would enhance the American economy while protecting the environment. 

A Presidential permit to construct the pipeline was issued in 2017, after the Obama Administration halted the project despite a favorable environmental review from the State Department.   

The Chamber has long supported the Keystone XL pipeline. To help educate policymakers and the public, in 2014 we conducted a “Keystone XL Pipeline Lost Opportunity Tour” which traveled the route of the pipeline, interviewing local leaders and business owners who welcomed the tax revenue and investment in their communities that will come from it. The pipeline is expected to generate $3.4 billion U.S. GDP growth, including millions in state and local tax revenue. 

TC Energy announced that Keystone XL will operate at a net zero emissions level when it is placed in-service in 2023, and ensure that enough new renewable electricity is available by 2030 to patch the pipeline’s power consumption. That includes $1.7 billion invested in new renewable energy systems and thousands of green jobs, 

On January 20, 2021, President Biden announced his intention to revoke the Presidential Permit to construct the pipeline. In response, Global Energy Institute President Marty Durbin said:

"The Chamber opposes President Biden’s action to revoke the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline—the most studied infrastructure project in American history—is already under construction and has cleared countless legal and environmental hurdles. This is a politically motivated decision that is not grounded in science. It will harm consumers and put thousands of Americans in the building trades out of work. Halting construction will also impede the safe and efficient transport of oil, and unfairly single out production from one of our closest and most important allies.”