(Washington) The Canadian government is urging the State of Michigan to abandon its efforts to force the closure of Enbridge’s ‘Line 5’, a controversial cross-border pipeline.
Posted at 1:59 p.m.
Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said Friday that the ban on energy imports from Russia means Canada and the United States need all the transmission capacity they can muster.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been trying since November 2020 to shut down Enbridge Line 5, fearing a leak at the bottom of the Strait of Mackinac, where the pipeline crosses the Great Lakes. Since then, the State of Michigan has been fighting in court against Enbridge of Calgary, owner and operator of the pipeline.
President Joe Biden earlier this week announced a ban on imports of oil, coal and liquefied natural gas from Russia, part of a series of economic sanctions in response to the invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Poutine.
This ban is decreed by the White House when Americans were already grappling with record gasoline prices at the pump and a peak in inflation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the war in Ukraine is only part of the reason why Line 5 must remain open, Wilkinson said in an interview.
“Given what’s happening now, but also in general, I think it’s an important piece of the existing infrastructure,” he said.
“This is not only important for Canada, but also for parts of the United States. Canada has very actively supported the proponent […] It is now before the courts. And we will obviously have to wait to see the decision. But we’re certainly optimistic, because the case is strong. »
Canada is not alone in asking Governor Whitmer to back down. Republican senators from the state of Michigan passed a resolution this week urging the Democratic governor to pursue policies aimed at fostering energy independence, “including ending state efforts to shut down Line 5.”
President Biden, Governor Whitmer, US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and other officials “have pursued policies that have harmed our ability to achieve energy independence, including the President’s decision to stop the Keystone XL pipeline, ”plead the Republican senators.
“We urge Governor Whitmer […] to immediately cease its efforts to shut down Line 5 and instead work proactively to reduce energy costs for residents of this state. »