Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta, Canada, said Tuesday that she would like to restart conversations with Trump administration officials about reapproving the Keystone XL oil pipeline or permitting additional Canada-United States oil pipelines.
Smith is prepared to leverage her own authority and work with President Donald Trump on the issue, she told the Washington Free Beacon in a Tuesday interview. Her government is seeking to double its oil and gas production, she said, which means the province will need additional pipeline infrastructure to transport that product to its destination.
"I think there's a number of different projects we could look at that go cross-border, north and south," Smith said. "What I would propose is—are there ways that we can look at increasing pipeline access, perhaps some new routes or perhaps some new proposals on existing routes?"
"And I think that would match with the speed with which this administration wants to move," she continued. "So, whether it's a Keystone 2.0 or something else, I'm looking forward to starting those conversations in earnest once the interior secretary is sworn in."
Smith's support for Keystone XL and additional pipeline construction is a significant development as Trump begins in earnest to implement his energy agenda, which will focus on increasing oil and gas production, and expanding energy infrastructure. Renewing Keystone XL's federal approval or fast-tracking permits for additional oil pipelines could kickstart that agenda and simultaneously secure a significant messaging win for Trump.
Keystone XL—which, as proposed, would originate in Alberta, cross into Montana, and stretch 1,200 miles to Nebraska before reconnecting with the existing Keystone pipeline system—has for years been heralded by Republicans and Montanan officials as an important tool for increasing energy security and boosting the economy, but loudly opposed by Democrats and climate activists over its potential emissions profile.
In early 2017, Trump overturned former president Barack Obama's 2015 decision to reject the project. Then, after years of federal permitting, Keystone's developer TC Energy would begin constructing the pipeline in 2020, thanking Trump and the government of Alberta, which took an equity stake in the project. But the project's permits were rescinded by former president Joe Biden and TC Energy ultimately abandoned it altogether in June 2021.
"To say this was a big deal for Montana is an understatement," Montana attorney general Austin Knudsen (R.) said during a webinar Tuesday. "Those permits were all in place, those easements have all been in place, and we literally had electric co-ops laying out power lines, laying on infrastructure, you had man camps being built, you had pipeline depot facilities being constructed in Montana—and, on day one of Joe Biden's administration, by executive order, he cancels that permit."
Knudsen added that industry officials expect Trump to take another look at the project, potentially via executive order.
Rep. Ryan Zinke (R., Mont.), who served as interior secretary during the first Trump administration, said reapproving Keystone XL is possible and should be done. He also noted that pipelines from Alberta are crucial for maintaining America's supply of heavy crude oil—heavy crude is used in industrial applications such as asphalt and petrochemical manufacturing while the lighter crude produced in the United States is often used to make petroleum.
"I think with the premier's interest in it—obviously Trudeau is out, but, again, it's not only for Canada, but it's also U.S. national security and interest in a particular grade of fuel you can't replace in the Permian [Basin oil field]," Zinke told the Free Beacon.
In a statement, Katie Stavinoha, a spokeswoman for Keystone's developer South Bow, said the company supported Trump's actions to bolster energy production, but underscored that the Keystone XL project remains canceled.
"We appreciate President Trump’s leadership in advancing energy reliability across North America, including his support for increasing Canadian crude oil supplies to the U.S. This vision aligns with our company’s strategic commitment to long-term growth," Stavinoha said. "South Bow is engaging with customers to develop options that utilize our existing infrastructure and corridor to enhance energy security by increasing Canadian crude oil supplies to meet growing U.S. demand."
Meanwhile, Smith's comments come as part of her efforts to strengthen relations, particularly on energy matters, between the oil-rich Alberta and the United States. Smith attended Trump's inauguration on Monday, telling the Free Beacon that she sought to earn exemptions from Trump's planned tariffs for Alberta's energy industry.
"We are stronger together. I think we can help Americans achieve their goal of energy dominance and ensure that American citizens continue to have low cost energy," Smith added.