does the xl pipeline benefit the us

The Keystone XL would have increased Canadian oil imports to 25% in the Gulf. The pipeline would have contributed $3.4 billion to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product and aided in reducing unemployment which at the time was 4.1% compared to 4% today.

Full Answer

Will the Keystone XL pipeline benefit the United States?

President Trump’s approval of the Keystone XL pipeline brought protests from opponents who say it will not benefit the U.S. Every day the equivalent of 830,000 barrels of oil will flow through 1,200 miles of pipeline from Canada to Nebraska.

Is TC Energy canceling the Keystone XL pipeline?

UPDATE: June 9, 2021: TC Energy announced that it is canceling the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, putting an end to a fossil fuel project that endangered waterways, communities, and the climate, which President Biden denied a key permit for on his first day in office.

Is a pipeline a better way to transport crude oil?

(A pipeline is a far better and safer way to transport crude oil than freight is.) It also ignores the painstaking measures that the Keystone developers have taken to enforce environmental-safety rules.

What are the benefits of the Keystone XL pipeline?

The Keystone XL Pipeline will contribute to energy security, create tens of thousands of high-quality employment and local contracting opportunities as well as provide a substantial economic benefit to local communities across Canada and the United States.

What are the negatives of the Keystone pipeline?

10 Reasons Why the Keystone XL Pipeline is a Terrible IdeaIt won't create more jobs. ... The pipeline will run dangerously close to drinking water. ... Bad Water. ... Gas prices will rise. ... There will inevitably be spills. ... The Keystone XL is in the United States, not for the United States. ... Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change.More items...

Does the US own the Keystone pipeline?

The Keystone Pipeline System is an oil pipeline system in Canada and the United States, commissioned in 2010 and owned by TC Energy and as of 31 March 2020 the Government of Alberta.

Is the XL pipeline still being used?

“The Keystone XL Pipeline Project was terminated in June 2021,” TC Energy said in an email. The existing Keystone pipeline system, which was built before the XL expansion was proposed, “will continue to provide unique, stable and safe source of energy to meet increasing U.S. energy demands.”

Why did they shut down the Keystone pipeline?

Leaks and the pipeline Less than two years before the project was finally pulled, the Keystone tar sands pipeline was temporarily shut down after a spill in North Dakota of reportedly more than 378,000 gallons in late October 2019.

Is the Keystone pipeline good for the environment?

Keystone XL and Wildlife No matter how you look at it, Keystone XL would be bad for wildlife, especially endangered species. Many imperiled species live along the proposed pipeline's path and in areas where tar-sands oil is produced. If the pipeline were built, it would decimate habitat these species rely on.

Who shut down the Keystone pipeline?

TransCanada shut down a portion of the Keystone XL Pipeline after they "reported a spill of about 187 gallons of crude oil" near the Freeman pump station in Hutchinson County, South Dakota.

Who owns the Keystone pipeline?

TC EnergyOwned by North American company TC Energy, the Keystone XL Pipeline “is the fourth phase of the Keystone Pipeline System,” an existing 2,687-mile pipeline whose Canadian portion “runs from Hardisty, Alberta, east into Manitoba where it turns south and crosses the border into North Dakota,” according to the company's ...

How long would it take to complete the Keystone pipeline?

When Biden revoked the permit on January 20, 2021, TC Energy completed just over 90 miles of a pipeline supposed to extend across 1,200 miles. Considering this construction history and the inevitable lawsuits the pipeline would have faced again, completion in three years might be wishful thinking.

How much oil does the existing Keystone pipeline carry?

The southern leg of the Keystone XL ties into the existing Keystone pipeline that already runs to Canada, bringing up to 700,000 barrels of oil a day to refineries in Texas. At peak capacity, the pipeline will deliver 830,000 barrels of oil per day.

How much oil would be transported by Keystone XL?

To be precise, it would transport 830,000 barrels of Alber ta tar sands oil per day to refineries on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Some 3 million miles of oil and gas pipelines already run through our country. But Keystone XL wouldn’t be your average pipeline, and tar sand oil isn’t your average crude.

Why is Keystone XL being opposed?

Opposition to Keystone XL centers on the devastating environmental consequences of the project. The pipeline has faced years of sustained protests from environmental activists and organizations; Indigenous communities; religious leaders; and the farmers, ranchers, and business owners along its proposed route. One such protest, a historic act of civil disobedience outside the White House in August 2011, resulted in the arrest of more than 1,200 demonstrators. More than 90 leading scientists and economists have opposed the project, in addition to unions and world leaders such as the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and former president Jimmy Carter (together, these and other Nobel laureates have written letters against the project). In 2014, more than two million comments urging a rejection of the pipeline were submitted to the State Department during a 30-day public comment period.

What Is Keystone XL?

The Keystone XL pipeline extension, proposed by TC Energy (then TransCanada) in 2008, was initially designed to transport the planet’s dirtiest fossil fuel, tar sands oil, to market —and fast. As an expansion of the company’s existing Keystone Pipeline System, which has been operating since 2010 (and continues to send Canadian tar sands crude oil from Alberta to various processing hubs in the middle of the United States), the pipeline promised to dramatically increase capacity to process the 168 billion barrels of crude oil locked up under Canada’s boreal forest. It was expected to transport 830,000 barrels of Alberta tar sands oil per day to refineries on the Gulf Coast of Texas.

How many times has the Keystone pipeline leaked?

Since it first went into operation in 2010, TC Energy’s original Keystone Pipeline System has leaked more than a dozen times; one incident in North Dakota sent a 60-foot, 21,000-gallon geyser of tar sands oil spewing into the air.

What would happen if Keystone XL was fully realized?

A fully realized Keystone XL would lead to more mining of that “nasty stuff” by accelerating the pace at which it’s produced and transported. (Indeed, Keystone XL was viewed as a necessary ingredient in the oil industry’s plans to triple tar sands production by 2030.)

How many jobs will KXL create?

When TC Energy said the pipeline would create nearly 119,000 jobs, a State Department report instead concluded the project would require fewer than 2,000 two-year construction jobs and that the number of full-time, permanent jobs would hover around 35 after construction.

When will Keystone XL be cancelled?

January 20, 2021 Melissa Denchak. UPDATE: June 9, 2021: TC Energy announced that it is canceling the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, putting an end to a fossil fuel project that endangered waterways, communities, and the climate, which President Biden denied a key permit for on his first day in office.

Where is Keystone XL pipeline?

The Keystone XL project aims to complete the northern part of a pipeline bringing oil from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Reuters

How much tax revenue will be generated from Keystone XL?

Construction of Keystone XL would cause a short-term tax revenue increase (primarily from sales and use taxes) of $66 million. Once the pipeline is operating, 27 counties will collect an additional $56 million in taxes. The pipeline won’t affect property values, according to the government.

How many jobs will Keystone XL create?

President Trump on Tuesday predicted the revived projects would create 28,000 jobs in the U.S. But job claims for Keystone XL, the larger of the two, have been all over the map. TransCanada, the owner of the pipeline, said in 2011 that it would create 20,000 direct jobs in the U.S. and support an additional 118,000. The State Department, in a review that ultimately denied the project permit, noted that a total of 42,000 jobs would be created directly and indirectly during the pipeline’s construction, which is estimated to take a year.

What pipelines did Trump build?

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that construction would move forward on the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines , both of which had stalled under the Obama administration. The decision was a blow to environmental activists and supporters of tribal sovereignty, but was touted by the White House as a great boost to the American economy.

How much will the Dakota Access pipeline generate?

The projects would also increase local tax revenue. Once the Dakota Access pipeline is operational, it will generate about $55 million in property taxes, split across four states, according to estimates.

What happens during the Dakota Access pipeline?

During construction, towns along the pipeline’s path are likely to see local booms in business, as workers spend money on lodging, food and entertainment. This has already happened along the Dakota Access corridor. However, like the construction jobs that fuel it, the boom is temporary.

How much did the BP oil spill cost?

The five-year cleanup of BP’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, starting in 2010, cost the company $62 billion. That doesn’t include the cost of decreased tourism, diminished wildlife and land that becomes unusable. It also doesn’t account for potential long-term health effects.

Why is Keystone XL bad?

The pipeline passes through an active earthquake zone. One bad spill could permanently poison the Ogallala Aquifer, which provides drinking water to millions of people, and 30 percent of our irrigation.

What are the Chinese doing to the world supply chain?

Chinese leaders have seized key elements of the world industrial supply chain, like rare earths. According to our government, they engage in pervasive industrial espionage. They have threatened American companies like Apple, Google and Walmart. In short, they know how to play the game.

Is Keystone pipeline good?

Here is another reason, perhaps the best reason of all: It doesn't do us any good. China, yes. The Koch Brothers (who own the refining capacity that would be used), yes. Us, no.

Does the pipeline pass through earthquake zones?

The pipeline passes through an active earthquake zone. One bad spill could permanently poison the Ogallala Aquifer, which provides drinking water to millions of people, and 30 percent of our irrigation. Here is another reason, perhaps the best reason of all: It doesn’t do us any good. China, yes.

When will Keystone XL be completed?

After years of regulatory review and conclusion on both sides of the border that Keystone XL is in the public interest and can be operated safely, Calgary-based TC Energy announced in March 2020 it would commence construction. In July, the company completed the long-awaited border crossing. In August, it signed an agreement with four US labour unions ensuring union members will work on the project.

How much oil is produced in the US?

The massive growth in US oil production — from approximately 5.5 million barrels per day in 2010 to 12 million barrels per day in 2019 — has been in so-called “light oil,” but many US refineries are tailored to run “heavy oil” like what is primarily produced in Canada.

Where does Keystone XL pipeline go?

What gets exported. The Keystone XL pipeline will transport crude oil from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska. The oil will then flow through another pipeline to Gulf Coast refineries, where it will be refined into petroleum products like gasoline.

Why is the Keystone pipeline important?

The Keystone XL pipeline was designed to transport oil to the Gulf Coast because refineries in the region are already equipped to process heavier crude oils, like those found in Canada’s Alberta province. The same kind of crude oil comes to the region from Latin America. If the pipeline transfers as much crude oil to the Gulf Coast as ...

Does Keystone XL have oil?

The Keystone XL pipeline "doesn’t even have any oil for America.". The Keystone Steele City pumping station in Nebraska. The Keystone XL pipeline is supposed to connect to the station / Credit: Associated Press, 2015.

Does the Gillibrand pipeline affect gas prices?

The U.S. State Department did not respond to most of Gillibrand’s claim but did comment on how the pipeline could affect gas prices. "As the final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement makes clear, gas prices throughout the United States are primarily driven by global market factors," a spokesperson said.

Will oil be exported to other countries?

Experts say the oil will not be exported straight to other countries, as Gillibrand said.

Who is building the TransCanada pipeline?

TransCanada, the company building the pipeline, confirmed in an email that the pipeline was designed to reach refineries in the Gulf Coast region.

Will all the oil from the Keystone XL pipeline be exported?

President Trump’s approval of the Keystone XL pipeline brought protests from opponents who say it will not benefit the U.S.

How many jobs will the pipeline create?

In response to the president’s decision, lawmakers have introduced legislation to mandate continuation of the project, estimating that the pipeline’s expansion would create 11,000 “direct high-paying jobs” and “up to 60,000 indirect and direct jobs.”

What was the impact report on Keystone XL?

In fact, the impact report stated that the State Department expected extraction of oil in Canada and changes to the environment “regardless of any potential effects” from the Keystone XL project.

How has Keystone pipeline affected Oklahoma?

Again, the impact will be felt not just in Oklahoma: The pipeline here increases the transport of oil to Cushing, one of the largest transshipment and oil-storage locations in the world.

Is Keystone XL a no brainer?

To anyone truly interested in optimizing health and human safety for the American people and our friends in Canada — as well as protecting the environment and promoting well-paying jobs — supporting Keystone XL is a no-brainer.

Is the Keystone pipeline good?

Killing the Keystone XL pipeline does no tangible good and will doubtless cause harm to countless Americans, and even to the environment that the decision pledges to protect.

Root of The Problem

More Production, But Higher Costs For Americans

• Even if the pipeline was already built, it wouldn't help with the price at the pump, Nemet added, noting that the U.S. has already doubled its oil production over the last 15 years. "And yet, we still have $100 per barrel oil." With inflation soaring, gas prices have been increasing for months — hitting an average of $4.33 a gallonon March 11, acco...

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