Alberta just told Washington it’s looking for other options. The Canadian province submitted a formal proposal on July 2, 2026, to build a new West Coast oil pipeline capable of carrying roughly 1 million barrels per day, a move designed to reroute Canadian crude away from American buyers and toward Asian markets instead.
The pipeline plan and its timeline
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney reached an agreement in May 2026 to pursue the project, which would give Canada a second major crude export corridor to the Pacific Coast.
The new pipeline is expected to receive “project of national interest” status by October 1, 2026. That designation unlocks a streamlined regulatory process that could allow construction to begin as early as September 2027. Operational startup is projected for the mid-2030s.
Trans Mountain Corporation and Pembina Pipeline are listed as partners. Indigenous consultation has been flagged as a priority, a lesson learned from previous pipeline debacles that stalled in court over inadequate engagement with First Nations communities.
