Keystone XL pipeline company announces $15 billion lawsuit against Biden

The Biden administration is facing a $15 billion lawsuit from the energy firm that owns the Keystone Pipeline System.

President Joe Biden canceled the 1,200-mile-long pipeline, which would have carried roughly 800,000 barrels daily, on his first day in office, which caused TC Energy to fire 1,000 workers, the firm said.

“TC Energy will be seeking to recover more than $15 billion in damages that it has suffered as a result of the U.S. Government’s breach of its NAFTA obligations,” the firm announced in a press release July 2, following the administration's decision to nix the pipeline in January.

The decision prevented about 48,000 new jobs from being created, the energy firm said.

“We are a vital part of everyday life — delivering the energy millions of people rely on to power their lives in a sustainable way,” the firm added in the press release. “Guided by our core values of safety, responsibility, collaboration and integrity, our 7,500 people make a positive difference in the communities where we operate across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.”

Richard Prior, Keystone XL president, criticized Biden’s decision to cancel the pipeline as it would set back the country’s push for “sustainable energy.”

“I believe this will send a concerning signal to infrastructure developers that resonates far beyond our project and will stifle innovation for a practical transition toward sustainable energy,” he said in January.

In March, Texas and Montana led 19 other Republican-governed states in a lawsuit against the Biden administration over the Keystone XL pipeline.

The states argued the permit for the construction of the pipeline should be determined by Congress and not the president.

“Since his first day in office, President Biden has made it his mission to undo all the progress of the previous administration, with complete disregard for the Constitutional limits on his power,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “His decision to revoke the pipeline permit is not only unlawful but will also devastate the livelihoods of thousands of workers, their families, and their communities.”

The other states in the lawsuit include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Former President Donald Trump, who initially approved of the pipeline after it was rejected by the Obama administration, also criticized Biden’s decision to cancel the pipeline.

“The Biden administration seems to be putting America last. You look at these negotiations where so many bad things have happened,” he said during a convention dinner in June.“Forty-eight thousand jobs were lost by President Biden's day-one rejection of the Keystone pipeline. For what reason? Why did they do that?” he added. “And if you like the environment, the pipeline is much better than railroad tracks and trucking. It's great, and they ended it on Day One.”

Keystone XL pipeline company announces $15 billion lawsuit against Biden | Washington Examiner