TransCanada asks U.S. to suspend Keystone XL Pipeline permit

The Alberta-based energy company TransCanada has asked the U.S. government to suspend its permit application for the Keystone XL Pipeline.

In a letter sent to the State Department, which reviews cross-border pipelines, the company asked that its application be suspended as it goes through a state review process in Nebraska, something it previously resisted, The Wall Street Journal reports. The pipeline, which faces opposition from environmentalists, would move up to 830,000 barrels of oil a day from the oil sands of Canada to Steele City, Nebraska, where it would then connect with existing pipelines to the Gulf Coast.

Since it first applied for a permit with the State Department in September 2008, TransCanada has spent at least $2.5 billion on the project. Due to delays and an increase in permitting costs, the pipeline, if built, is estimated to cost at least $10 billion, and would span 1,700 miles and cross six U.S. states.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up