Status and Timelines

Status of the Keystone XL Pipeline

With Canadian regulatory approval received from the National Energy Board (NEB) in 2010, the Keystone XL Pipeline awaits approval from U.S. regulators.

It was announced May 4th that TransCanada submitted a Presidential Permit application to the U.S. Department of State (DOS), which is a requirement for building a cross border pipeline.

The application for Keystone XL contains existing research and analysis obtained from the more than three years of environmental review. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) from the initial Keystone XL pipeline review process will be considered in the forthcoming analysis. TransCanada will supplement the application with an alternative route in Nebraska as soon as that route is selected.

TransCanada and Nebraska's Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) continue to work collaboratively in determining an alternative route for Keystone XL that avoids the Sandhills. Alternative routing corridors were submitted to the NDEQ in April 2012. The NDEQ will oversee the public comment and review process in order to determine an acceptable route; this process will take six to nine months.

The DOS announced that they expect to make a decision on the Keystone XL project by the first quarter of 2013. Following the decision, TransCanada expects to begin the construction in the first quarter of 2013, with an anticipated in-service date in late 2014 or early 2015.

To read more detailed information about the DOS review process, please visit their Keystone XL specific website.