United States president Joe Biden has only been on the job one day and he is already drawing the attention of the Saskatchewan premier for his actions. 

One of Biden’s first acts as president was to sign an executive order to revoke the permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline. 

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe expressed his disappointment in the following written statement: 

President Biden’s Executive Order to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline expansion comes as a devastating blow to North American energy security and raises serious questions on the future advancement of sustainable and innovative pipeline development. While I am calling on the federal government to explore opportunities to compel the Biden administration to allow the resumption of construction on this crucial piece of energy infrastructure, the federal government must also clarify what this decision means for future cross-border pipeline development and the future of Canadian-American economic relations.

If the federal government is unwilling to further challenge the Biden administration's unilateral action to cancel this pipeline, will they stand with the advancement of future privately developed pipelines, or will they abandon the hardworking employees providing livelihoods for thousands of families in western Canada? I will be raising this important issue with the Prime Minister this afternoon on the call of Canada’s first ministers.

The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) also voiced their disappointment that the project has been brought to a halt. 

According to SARM, the project was expected to create 1,000 short-term jobs in the province and about $2.97 million in additional property taxes for municipalities. 

“The Keystone XL Pipeline was an opportunity for a long-term stabilized energy supply from Canada to the United States,” SARM President Ray Orb stated in a press release.   

“An economic recovery requires support for projects like Keystone that advance the economic competitiveness of our province and provide economic stimulus for rural municipalities.” 

In 2015, the Barack Obama administration rejected the XL Pipeline project, but it was revived by President Donald Trump in 2019.