Across the states of Montana and the Dakotas in the US, the Keystone XL pipeline (KXL) proposal sparked a powerful struggle over climate impact, environmental justice, and Indigenous sovereignty. The pipeline, set to transport 800,000 barrels of tar sands oil daily from Canada to Gulf Coast refineries, threatened to cut through Indigenous lands, farms, and vital ecosystems which would have been disastrous for local environments and global emissions goals.
President Obama rejected KXL in 2015 due to its serious climate risks, but President Trump later reversed this, issuing a federal permit for TransCanada. In 2017, the Nebraska Public Service Commission still approved the project conditionally, requiring a route change, but this would not have stopped the pipeline from polluting the local land, water and climate.
In response, Indigenous communities, landowners, and allies launched Solar XL, installing solar arrays along Keystone’s proposed path in 2017 and 2018. Led by Bold Nebraska, 350.org, and the Indigenous Environmental Network, these solar power installations stand as powerful symbols of renewable resistance & non-violent action.
Solar panels now stand as sentries, for local communities resisting KXL while providing energy independence. Alongside Solar XL, the “Promise to Protect” Indigenous-led initiative calling for nationwide solidarity, has been ready to mobilize if Keystone XL proceeds. Luckily, the KXL project was canceled for good in 2021 by its developers when the Biden administration rescinded its permit.
