WASHINGTON – Pipeline developer Keystone plans to announce a series of revisions – including a promise to use only renewable energy – in an attempt to win the support of President-elect Joe Biden for the controversial project.
Biden’s advisers had previously said that he plans to revoke the license, and Canada’s CBC News reported on Sunday that Biden plans to do so in one of his first actions after taking office this week.
Biden’s team declined to discuss this report, but said its position on the pipeline has not changed.
In an attempt to save the project, Canadian TC Energy Corp. is committing to spend $ 1.7 billion on solar, wind and battery power to operate the partially completed 2,000-mile pipeline system between Alberta, western Canada, and Texas, company officials said. They are also committing themselves to hiring a unionized workforce and eliminating all greenhouse gas emissions from operations by 2030.
The company’s plans reflect new realities at a time when Democrats are taking command positions in Washington and in an era of growing environmental and social concerns.