Line 5 supplying vital energy to Michigan and the region
While it does not fit the narrative of Line 5 opponents, the reality is a world without the vital energy of crude oil and natural gas liquid (NGLs) Line 5 has transported safely for nearly 70 years is one in which families, refineries, and small businesses throughout the region would bear the brunt of supply uncertainty and prolonged price increases.
Line 5 safely and reliably delivers the light crude oil and NGLs that heat homes, businesses, fuel vehicles, and the power industry. Line 5 is a vital piece of energy infrastructure for Michigan, the entire Midwest, and Eastern Canada.
- Line 5 feeds 10 regional refineries and propane facilities. Five here in the US (two in Michigan, two in Toledo, Ohio, and one in Pennsylvania) and five more in eastern Canada.
- Line 5 transports the NGLs that produce propane to meet 65 percent of demand in the Upper Peninsula and 55 percent of the State’s needs. That’s over 300 million gallons per year.
- Did you know that only 2/3 of a barrel of crude oil is used for transportation fuels? The other 1/3 of a barrel that Line 5 transports safely daily is refined into more than 6,000 items ─ including phones, computers, televisions, solar panels, clothing, and footwear.
- Michigan only has the refinery capability to produce 1/3 of the necessary transportation fuels its residents consume. Therefore, we rely on a network of regional pipelines including Line 5 to feed these regional refineries to produce the fuels that power our vehicles and transportation needs.
- Line 5 provides oil to Ohio refineries, which supply 40 percent of Southeastern Michigan’s gasoline.
- Without Line 5, refineries in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ontario, and Quebec would receive approximately 45 percent less crude oil from Enbridge than their current demand.
To help ensure the continued safe operation of Line 5, Enbridge is funding the construction of the Great Lakes Tunnel. The tunnel will house a replacement section of Line 5 deep below the lakebed, removing the pipeline itself from the water and virtually eliminating the chance of a release impacting the Straits.
At least 70 percent of Michiganders support the construction of the Great Lakes Tunnel, acknowledging that energy security and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive.