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Trump Approves Bridger Pipeline Expansion Permit, 550k Barrels

5/2/2026

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Summary

Trump Approves Pipeline

President Donald Trump approved a permit for the Bridger Pipeline Expansion on April 30, 2026.
The 650-mile line will carry up to 550,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada through Montana and Wyoming—about two-thirds the volume of Keystone XL project—and runs on 70% existing corridors and 80% private land.
Developers plan construction to start in fall 2027 and finish by 2029, pending approvals before Trump’s term ends on Jan. 20, 2029.

Summary

Canada Leverages Pipeline

Canada will use the Bridger Pipeline as leverage for Prime Minister Mark Carney in US-Canada-Mexico trade talks.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith hailed the permit and called the United States Canada’s key trading partner.
Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said Canada seeks to diversify trade and strengthen energy security.
South Bow Corp. listed the $2 billion project, which should create thousands of jobs and lower U.S. gasoline prices.

History

Historical Context

Proposed in 2005, the Keystone XL pipeline faced route revisions in 2011-13 to spare Nebraska’s Sandhills and the Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to two million people. After the Obama administration vetoed the project in 2015, Trump reinstated a permit in 2017, Biden revoked it in 2021, and a new Bridger permit was issued on April 30 2026, reviving cross-border leverage.

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Trump Approves Pipeline

President Donald Trump approved a permit for the Bridger Pipeline Expansion on April 30, 2026.
The 650-mile line will carry up to 550,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada through Montana and Wyoming—about two-thirds the volume of Keystone XL project—and runs on 70% existing corridors and 80% private land.
Developers plan construction to start in fall 2027 and finish by 2029, pending approvals before Trump’s term ends on Jan. 20, 2029.

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