TC Energy, the Calgary-based company behind the Keystone XL pipeline, said on Wednesday it is ending the project, after President Biden canceled a key permit and Canadian officials were unable to get him to reverse his decision.
The 1,200-mile pipeline would have been able to move up to 35 million gallons of crude daily, carrying it from western Canada to Steele City, Nebraska. The project was first announced in 2008, and environmental groups have been fighting it every step of the way, citing climate change concerns. They cheered Wednesday's news, with Jared Margolis of the Center for Biological Diversity telling The Associated Press, "Good riddance to Keystone XL."
The project stalled during the Obama administration, but was revived with the support of former President Donald Trump. Biden said he would cancel the permit for the border crossing, and did so on his first day in office. Republican lawmakers — and some Democrats from oil states — have criticized Biden for yanking the permit, saying it killed construction jobs. The pipeline is partially built, and TC Energy said it will work with government agencies to "ensure a safe termination" of the project.