Michigan officials release 5-point plan to alleviate fuel shortages, cost spikes if Line 5 shutdown attempts are successful

(The Center Square) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration announced its plan to mitigate anticipated heating fuel shortages throughout Michigan if its planned closure of the Line 5 pipeline in May is successful.

The MI Propane Security Plan was released Friday morning and features a five-point plan developed between the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE); the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT); the Michigan Public Services Commission (PSC); and the Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB). The plan is based on recommendations from the governor-appointed Upper Peninsula Energy Task Force.

The dual pipelines transport approximately 540,000 gallons of fuel per day across four miles of the Straits of Mackinac lakebed. Line 5 has been in service through an easement agreement between the state and Enbridge since 1953.

Whitmer and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel are engaged currently in lawsuits to shut down the pipeline, citing environmental concerns.

Enbridge is defending its easement and the proposed construction of a $500 million tunnel, which would be located 100 feet below the lakebed.

According to a release from the multi-agency commission, the security plan:

Protects customers from price gougingEncourages market participants to invest in alternative sourcing optionsIncreases state investment in rail and propane storage infrastructureEscalates state monitoring of the propane industry and coordinates the response to potential disruptionsSets a long-term path to lower energy costs through investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electrification

The announcement prompted a response from Enbridge’s Communications Strategist Ryan Duffy.

“Should Line 5 be shut down, the Whitmer Administration’s recommendations would be wholly inadequate for replacing the propane or energy supply Michiganders currently depend on,” the statement said. “It also creates greater environmental impacts that other transportation modes present and increases costs for end-use customers.”

Enbridge maintains jurisdiction over the easement rests with the Federal Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Agency and not Michigan officials.

The Enbridge statement continued: “The recommendations further fail to fully appreciate what such a propane shortage would mean for the Lower Peninsula, which uses 10 times the amount of propane as the U.P. The recommendations also completely ignore the critical needs of other Great Lakes States and Canada.”

PSC Chair Dan Scripps, in a statement, said the multi-agency plan “will allow us to better better protect consumers and ensure that Michiganders have access to the energy resources on which they rely.”

MDOT Director Paul Ajegba said the plan “creates an opportunity for us to increase reliability and resiliency in our energy delivery systems.”

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