Keystone XL reversal sparks debate as developers and permits signal slim chances for project restart
US President Donald Trump has moved to reverse former President Joe Biden's cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline permit.
This executive order was among several Biden-era directives rescinded on Monday, as reported by BNN Bloomberg.
However, the controversial pipeline, designed to carry Canadian crude oil to Nebraska, faces slim chances of revival, as the former developer, South Bow Corp., has shown no interest in resuming the project.
“We’ve moved on from Keystone XL,” South Bow CEO Bevin Wirzba said in June, underscoring the company’s shift away from the multibillion-dollar, 1,200-mile pipeline project.
Parts of the pipeline system, which would have run through Alberta, Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska, have been dismantled since Biden revoked Trump’s 2019 permit hours after taking office in January 2021.
Furthermore, “virtually all of the permits along the way have expired,” said Anthony Swift, senior director at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Swift noted that restarting the project would require beginning from scratch.
A White House spokesperson did not comment on the issue.
The Keystone XL pipeline has long been a focal point in US energy politics. Trump and fellow Republicans criticized Biden’s 2021 cancellation, blaming it for rising gas prices and portraying Democrats as anti-oil.
Despite this, Trump stated Thursday during a remote presentation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the US does not need Canadian oil.
“We don’t need their oil and gas,” Trump said, adding, “We have more than anybody.”
The Keystone XL reversal appears to be part of Trump’s broader efforts to undo Biden-era policies, even if the changes remain largely symbolic.
In his executive order, Trump accused the previous administration of embedding “deeply unpopular, inflationary, illegal and radical practices” within federal agencies. He described his action as “the first of many steps” to rebuild US institutions and the economy.
While the reversal has reopened the door for Keystone XL, the significant logistical, regulatory, and political barriers make its future uncertain.
