Date of Award

6-2014

Document Type

Open Access

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Economics

First Advisor

Harold Fried

Language

English

Keywords

pipeline, oil, energy, resources, companies

Abstract

The Keystone XL pipeline is one of the most controversial topics in North America over the last five years. The debate is based on the trade‐off between Canadian oil sands as a usable energy resource and the environmental effects associated with the extraction and refining of the oil. The green house gasses emitted from the extraction and refining of oil sands produces several environmental concerns that make the proposed pipeline controversial. On the other hand, Canadian oil companies see a significant benefit from the ability of Canadian oil reaching international markets. TransCanada, a 79.99 percent owner of the pipeline, conducted an evaluation of the pipeline; however, their valuations have been questioned due to their bias. This paper provides an objective analysis of the pipeline, from the perspective of Canada. Through conducting a Cost‐Benefit Analysis, it finds that the pipeline provides a net‐benefit of $118 billion dollars to Canada and its citizens.

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