Alberta Premier Jason Kenney (The Canadian Press)

By Justin Goulet

Scrapping of Keystone XL would be a ‘serious and economic strategic error’ for United States: Kenney

Jan 18, 2021 | 11:22 AM

CALGARY, AB – Jason Kenney is not happy with Joe Biden.

The Alberta Premier’s displeasure comes amid reports that the United States President-elect plans on scrapping the Keystone XL pipeline permit once he takes office.

READ MORE: Documents show Biden plans Day 1 order nixing Keystone XL

“That would be, in our view, a serious and economic strategic error that would set back Canada-US relations with the United States’ most important trading partner and strategic ally – Canada,” Kenney said on Monday morning.

“By far, the largest exports of Canada to the United States are represented by Alberta crude oil exports. Canada, on an average year, exports some 100-billion dollars worth of energy through primarily Alberta crude to the United States, through border crossing pipelines, every year.”

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Kenney said that helps fuel the American economy.

He added that Keystone XL represents an expansion of the ‘decades-old’ energy partnership between the two countries.

“Keystone XL represents the opportunity to create over 40,000 jobs in the United States, to add over 3-billion dollars to the gross domestic product, just in terms of its construction,” the Premier stated.

“But more importantly, [it] represents energy security for a country – the United States – that has sacrificed so much to maintain energy security as a key part of its strategic interest and its prosperity.”

He said nixing Keystone XL would not bode well for the future of the United States.

“Either the United States has access to environmentally-responsible energy produced in a close democratic ally, or it becomes more dependent on foreign oil imports from Venezuela and other OPEC dictatorships in the future,” he stated.

“Canada has made enormous progress in terms of improving the environmental performance of our energy production; reducing significantly the carbon intensity of a barrel of bitumen, for example, that is produced, to the point where heavy oil produced in this province has on average a lower carbon intensity than heavy oil produced elsewhere in North America and around the world.”

Kenney cited a conversation between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President-elect Joe Biden from November 9, 2020.

“As the Government of Canada has said, building Keystone XL is ‘top of the agenda’ with the incoming Biden administration,” stated the Premier.

“Prime Minister Trudeau raised the issue with President-elect Biden on their November 9, 2020, telephone meeting, agreeing ‘to engage on key issues, including…energy cooperation such as Keystone XL.”

Kenney’s concerns are being shared with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.

READ MORE: Kenney, Moe condemn Biden’s plan to scrap Keystone XL on Day 1 of presidency

Kenney said if the incoming Biden administration abrogates the Keystone XL permit, Alberta will work with TC Energy (owners of the pipeline) to use “all legal avenues available to protect its interest in the project”.