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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Does the president have the power to start or stop construction of an international oil pipeline?

By Jacqueline Agustin
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YES

The president, given the role's overall Constitutional authority over foreign affairs, controls development of cross-border energy infrastructure projects by issuing, revoking, revising, suspending and/or transferring "presidential permits." The permits authorize construction and operation of oil pipelines, natural gas pipelines and electrical transmission facilities and are issued through designated executive-branch departments and agencies.

President Donald Trump in March 2019 issued a new permit authorizing construction and operation of the Keystone pipeline between Canada and the U.S., following a series of reviews that began in 2010 during the Obama administration and continued through multiple court challenges. The administration also made some changes governing similar procedures in the future.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Harvard: New presidential permit for Keystone pipeline and permitting changes
White House: Keystone pipeline permit
Federation of American Scientists: Congressional Research Service paper on presidential permits
Federal Register: Procedures with respect to presidential permits
BBC: Why the Keystone XL pipeline is so disputed
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.