Daines, Hoeven seek overdue Keystone XL Pipeline jobs loss report

U.S. Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT) and John Hoeven (R-ND) wasted no time this week in letting U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm know that a Keystone XL Pipeline jobs loss report due to them is late.

The lawmakers joined several other senators in requesting the status on the overdue report, which was due to Congress on Feb. 13 per Section 40434 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, enacted into law on Nov. 15, 2021.

“We urge you to complete your obligation under the law and release your report to Congress immediately,” the senators wrote in a Feb. 15 letter sent to Granholm.

Under the law, the Energy Secretary was tasked with conducting a study to estimate “the total number of jobs that were lost as a direct or indirect result of” and “the impact on consumer energy costs that are projected to result as a direct or indirect result of” President Joe Biden’s Executive Order canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline, according to their letter. 

The secretary was required to release results of the study to Congress no later than 90 days after enactment, which fell on Feb. 13, 2022.

“We request that you immediately provide the current status of the required report and provide the report to the appropriate congressional committees,” the senators wrote, noting that at the time of its closure, the Keystone XL Pipeline project was already under construction and employed more than 1,500 workers. 

By the end of 2021, the Keystone XL pipeline was projected to provide approximately 11,000 jobs. “Knowing the full impact of the president’s actions is important to the American people,” wrote the lawmakers.

Among the nine other lawmakers who joined Sens. Daines and Hoeven in signing the letter were U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS).