What led to the shutdown of the Keystone XL pipeline in 2021?

The Keystone XL pipeline was a controversial proposed extension of the existing Keystone pipeline system, which is used to transport crude oil from the Canadian tar sands to refineries in the United States. The proposed pipeline extension was designed to transport up to 830,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Alberta, Canada, to Nebraska, where it would connect with other pipelines and transport the oil to refineries on the Gulf Coast.

After years of legal and political battles, including opposition from Indigenous groups, environmental organizations, and local communities, President Joe Biden signed an executive order in January 2021 to revoke the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. The order stated that the pipeline was not in the national interest of the United States, and that the project would not make a meaningful long-term contribution to the economy or energy security.

The decision to revoke the permit was widely seen as a victory for environmentalists and Indigenous groups, who had raised concerns about the potential environmental impacts of the pipeline, including the risk of oil spills and the contribution to climate change.