State Department Permit
Issued on March 24, 2017
Policy Summary
A press release issued on March 24th by the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs stated that a permit was issued to TransCanada for the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The statement detailed that this pipeline “would serve the national interest”, and follows President Trump’s call for the development of the pipeline. It would run from Canada to Nebraska and bring about 830,000 barrels of oil into the United States every day. The pipeline stalled under President Obama and was protested extensively by environmental activists and indigenous groups. The pipeline is not guaranteed, however, and the State of Nebraska must complete the authorization. LEARN MORE
Analysis
The Keystone XL pipeline will have a negative impact on almost every affected sector. While it will create some temporary construction jobs, many of these will be Canadian, and it will only leave about 35 permanent jobs in the United States. While the oil giants argue that the oil sands will be excavated either way, a steady fall in oil prices seems to dispute this. Some of the oil may be refined in the United States, but oil exports are primarily sensitive to demand, not supply. Furthermore, construction of the pipeline undermines American efforts to decrease dependencies on fossil fuels. LEARN MORE
Engagement Resources
- Environment America — A grassroots environmental group that works to protect the environment and slow climate change through organizational and legislative advocacy.
- Climate Action Network — A global network of NGOs that work to slow the effects of climate change on an individual and national level.
- American Council on Renewable Energy — ACORE is a non-profit dedicated to expanding renewable energy in the United States, and it works with not only the government but also industry leaders and financial institutions.
This brief was compiled by Jacob Malinowski. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact jacob@usresistnews.org.
