Responding to Biden’s Executive Orders: Blocking the Keystone XL Pipeline

January 20, 2021

Keystone is an energy infrastructure project building 1200 miles of pipeline from oil fields in Alberta, Canada to refineries in Texas. It could supply America and its allies with a steady supply of oil while ensuring environmental safeguards.  Additionally, the construction of the pipeline creates thousands of construction jobs across the country and creates much economic activity.  The Obama Administration approved the pipeline a decade ago though was unwilling to grant final construction permits. We have long known that Keystone would create:

• Approximately 3,000 direct construction jobs 
• More than 40,000 indirect jobs
• $2 billion in economic activity
• Greater relationship between the US and its northern neighbor and ally Canada
• Increased environmental stewardship as pipelines have virtually no emissions compared with truck/train which will be used to transport oil
• Greater highway safety keeping fewer tanks off the roads

And so much more will be lost was already starting to be put into action:

• Over 10,000 American union jobs were created during construction.
• 2,000 currently working on the pipeline will be laid off.
• A $10 million Green Jobs Training Fund for union workers will be no more.
• An indigenous partnership that was generating more than $1 billion in equity ownership opportunities with input into construction and operations is now gone.
• Over $500 million committed for Indigenous suppliers and employment opportunities for tribal communities is now gone.
• Over $100 million of annual property taxes for rural American communities is now gone.

Eliminating this project does nothing to help the environment, it hurts the economy, and takes away thousands of jobs from Americans.  Furthermore, it sends a signal to the world that the US, currently the largest oil and gas producer, no longer wants to lead on energy.  This opens the door to both Russia and the OPEC cartel to assume control of this critical resource.  

Sign The Petition to Save the Pipeline

The team at Power The Future did the research, but we took it one step further. We went to Texas to talk to real men and women who lost their jobs with a stroke of Biden’s pen. Here are their stories:

Hear from PTF Executive Director Daniel Turner about what Biden’s executive action means for our nation:

Learn more in Daniel Turner’s Op-Ed in Real Clear Energy: Earth to Joe Biden: Canceling Keystone XL Pipeline Is a Gift to China and Russia