SDGOP Chair Dan Lederman statement on cancellation of Keystone XL Permit
“South Dakotans have a resilient work ethic. Whether Republican or Democrat, we get things done and we don’t leave a job unfinished. The Keystone XL project fits that mold as well, we urge all Americans to join us in seeing it through to completion.
President Biden’s unfortunate decision to revoke Keystone XL’s presidential permit was short sighted and hastily done. The project has changed considerably since his last term in the White House in 2015. Most notably, it will be the first pipeline of its kind to be fully powered by renewable energy. This includes spurring $1.7 billion in new wind and solar energy projects in communities along the Keystone XL route – making the project one of the top 10 corporate purchasers of renewable energy in North America. It also builds out the green electric grid for South Dakotans, benefiting residential and commercial electric buyers alike.
For our colleagues across the aisle who value good union jobs, Keystone XL’s Project Labor Agreement would create more than 10,000 union jobs, inclusive of a $10 million Green Jobs Training Fund to help ensure North America’s clean energy future is also built by union labor.
Although some of our tribes in South Dakota had voiced their dissent, more than $1 billion in equity partnerships with Indigenous communities was established in Canada, providing generational opportunities for these communities to invest in schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure.
Keystone XL will generate over $100 million in property taxes in the first year of operation in the U.S. route, benefitting state governments and local entities. In addition, it will contribute approximately $3.4 billion to the U.S. GDP through construction.
We would ask that members of both parties at all levels revisit project’s merits and diligently focus on what bipartisanship looks like when it comes to employment and protecting our environment. Let’s get the job done!”