By Meclee - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20363087
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney discussed reviving the long-stalled Keystone XL oil pipeline during a meeting at the White House with U.S. President Donald Trump this week, a government official confirmed. The conversation was part of broader talks on energy co-operation between Canada and the United States.
According to a source familiar with the meeting, Trump appeared open to the idea when Carney raised the prospect of bringing the Alberta-to-Nebraska project back to life. The discussion was linked to Ottawa’s interest in using Canadian steel and aluminum in major infrastructure projects, as both sectors continue to face steep U.S. trade tariffs.
The renewed interest comes after Trump, since returning to office, called for Keystone XL to be revived. The project was first proposed in 2008 and cancelled multiple times by successive U.S. administrations, most recently by Joe Biden in 2021. Alberta and Saskatchewan have both supported its return, even as Calgary-based South Bow Corp., which owns the existing Keystone network, has said it has moved on.
Carney’s push aligns with the federal government’s broader energy goals, including a “grand bargain” that would see new oil and gas projects paired with major carbon capture investments. Alberta is also lobbying Ottawa to fast-track a separate proposed pipeline from Edmonton to British Columbia’s northern coast under new federal rules for nationally significant projects.
The Keystone XL proposal would have transported crude oil from Hardisty, Alta., to Nebraska, linking to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast. While environmental and Indigenous opposition remains strong, new support from both governments could see the private sector reconsider the project amid ongoing trade talks over steel, aluminum and energy.
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