Canadian PM Trudeau ‘disappointed’ with Biden’s decision on first day
- by Emilio Sims
- in Money
- — Jan 23, 2021
"Biden made it clear that he wasn't a supporter of Keystone XL and the premier went ahead and used taxpayer money to make a bet and he's lost that bet".
That the incoming USA president opposes Keystone XL is no surprise.
TC Energy says that the pipeline would create 13,200 jobs, with 10,400 being in the USA and 2,800 being in Canada.
It will also include executive orders to more strictly enforce, expand and tighten the provisions, a strategy to make USA products more competitive and expanded the list of "critical materials" that must be American-made.
Environmental activists and those eager for the potential billions in revenue the project could bring have fought over the proposed 1,100-mile pipeline for years.
"Now is the time for our nations to strengthen our trading relationship, not erect further barriers to collaborative and sustainable development", he said in a statement.
In a White House press briefing on Wednesday, newly appointed Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden would call Trudeau later this week.
"Pulling the plug on a major project, hours after taking office, is a rocky starting point for re-setting Canada/U.S. relations", said PCAC president Paul de Jong.
Jim Farney, head of the politics and worldwide studies department at the University of Regina, said Canada could, conceivably, put pipeline construction at the centre of its trade strategy, much like it did for softwood lumber and aluminum tariffs in the past.
"Failing an agreement with the American government, we call on the Government of Canada to respond with consequences for this attack on Canada's largest industry", Kenney said.
TC Energy approved spending US$8 billion in the spring of 2020 to complete Keystone XL after the Alberta government agreed to invest about US$1.1 billion (C$1.5 billion) as equity and guarantee a US$4.2-billion project loan.
Keystone XL, owned by TC Energy Corp, is already under construction in Canada, and would carry 830,000 barrels per day of Alberta oil sands crude to Nebraska. From there, the oil would travel via existing pipelines to reach refineries around the Gulf of Mexico.
TC Energy announced a plan last Sunday to eliminate the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from Keystone XL's operations, even as its future appeared in doubt.
"Leaving the Keystone XL pipeline permit in place would not be consistent with my Administration's economic and climate imperatives", he said in the order.
