Remember a few weeks ago when we warned that Michigan’s attempts to shut down a pipeline that has been operating safely since 1953 would drive up fuel prices and threaten jobs and the economy here in Pennsylvania?
Well, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and four statewide chambers, including the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, recently filed a joint amicus brief in federal court in support of Line 5 and plans to build the Great Lakes Tunnel.
These business organizations represent tens of thousands of employers and millions of workers. They recognize the importance of Line 5, which transports up to 540,000 barrels per day of light crude oil, light synthetic crude, and natural gas liquids (NGLs) to parts of the upper Midwest and western Pennsylvania. That domestic production is more important than ever today.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the need for increased energy production from North America, which is developed more responsibly than Russian oil and gas,” PA Chamber President and CEO Gene Barr said in a statement.
Line 5 product gets delivered to United Refining Co. in Warren, Pa., where it is refined and distributed for sale as gasoline and other fuels across the region.
The Consumer Energy Alliance recently issued a study, “Enbridge Line 5 | Shutdown Impacts on Transportation Fuel,” that Pennsylvania could lose up to $2.1 billion in economic activity, $34.4 million in state tax revenue, and more than 3,800 jobs from a shutdown. Pennsylvanians would spend as much as $630 million on gasoline and diesel fuel annually.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been trying to shut down the Line 5 pipeline, which is owned and operated by Enbridge.
The chambers’ amicus brief was has been featured in state and national news, as the situation in Ukraine has shined a brighter light on energy production at home. Now more than ever, consumers and businesses need access to reliable and affordable energy, and America must be able to provide resources to its allies.