U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is expected to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline expansion on his first day in office.
One of Biden's first actions once he is sworn in on Wednesday of this week will be to cancel the politically divisive Keystone XL pipeline expansion.
Transition documents seen by The Canadian Press feature a "to-do list" for inauguration day that includes signing an executive order to rescind the Keystone XL construction permit that was granted in 2019 by U.S. President Donald Trump.
"Roll back Trump enviro actions via EO (including rescind Keystone XL pipeline permit)," the document reads.
Other entries under the "Climate" heading include "Rejoin the Paris Agreement" and "Announce date for U.S.-hosted Leaders' Climate Summit."
Campaign officials promised in May that, if elected, Biden would cancel the $8-billion cross-border project, but neither the timeline nor the extent of Biden's own commitment to the promise was clear until now.
The controversial, on-again, off-again pipeline expansion, owned by Calgary-based TC Energy (TSX:TRP), would ship up to 830,000 additional barrels a day of diluted bitumen from Alberta's oilsands to refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Cancelling the project would kill jobs in both countries, weaken cross-border ties and undermine U.S. national security by making that country more dependent than ever on oil imports from countries among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Canadian officials in Ottawa argue.
Some 200 kilometres of pipe have already been installed for the expansion, including across the Canada-U. S. border, and construction has begun on pump stations in Alberta and several U.S. states.
