SASKATOON -- Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is calling U.S. President-Elect Joe Biden's plans to shut down the Keystone XL pipeline extension on his first day in office "very disappointing".
"Construction of this project should be a top priority for Canadian-U.S. economic relations," Moe said in an emailed statement.
Moe described the cancelled project as "critical" to North American energy security and said the project had "significant Indigenous support" behind it.
"Environmentally, Keystone will reach net-zero emissions when it first turns on, and will be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2030," Moe said. “While I am urging the Prime Minister to leverage his relationship with Mr. Biden, Saskatchewan will continue exercising our contacts in Washington D.C. to advocate for the continuation of this project that clearly benefits both of our nations."
The Keystone XL pipeline extension is a cross-border project that seeks to build upon existing infrastructure transporting Canadian crude oil into the U.S.
It aims to deliver 830,000 barrels of oil from Hardisty, Alta. to Steele City, Neb., and would cost approximately US$8 billion.
The Keystone XL pipeline extension has sparked protests from climate and Indigenous groups on both sides of the border.
Biden's election campaign was open about his intention to dissolve the extension deal since May.
Regina Conservative MP Andrew Scheer is calling on the Trudeau government to step in, both to lobby against cancellation of the pipeline and to open the way for other pipelines.
"By cancelling Canadian pipeline projects, he has really put all our eggs in one basket in the U.S," Scheer said. "He's made us very vulnerable and now we see that this type of decision could be very devastating to our energy sector because we have cancelled the Canadian that would have opened up new markets."
With files from CTV News.ca
