Attorney General Nessel comments on UP Energy Task Force Report on Propane, urges prompt planning to prepare for shutdown of Enbridge Line 5

By Michele Bourdieu

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. (Photo courtesy michigan.gov)

LANSING -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Monday, April 6, submitted comments on the draft report recently released by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s UP Energy Task Force. The report included specific recommendations to enhance the reliability of propane supply in the Upper Peninsula and a detailed analysis of alternative means of supplying propane if the current system of supply -- which depends in part on Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline -- changes.

The draft report from the Task Force was released on March 31, 2020; and public comments were due April 6, 2020. The UP Energy Task Force will meet via video conferencing from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday, Apr. 13. The public is encouraged to participate and comment. The Task Force is scheduled to finalize the report for the Governor by April 17.

In February, Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (FOLK) -- a local environmental group whose members have attended some of the Task Force meetings -- organized an informal public "Listening and Update" event at the Portage Lake District Public Library.

During a Feb. 22, 2020, presentation at the Portage Lake District Library, organized by FOLK, UP Energy Task Force member Jenn Hill points out statistics on propane use in the Upper Peninsula. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

During the presentation, two members of the Task Force -- Roman Sidortsov, Michigan Tech assistant professor of Energy Policy, and Jenn Hill, Marquette city commissioner and board member of the non-profit Citizens Utility Board of Michigan -- gave an overview of the UP energy system with updates on the first phase of the Task Force work on the UP propane supply structure. (See videos of their presentation below.)

AG Nessel comments on Task Force draft report, calling for Line 5 shutdown

"It is imperative that our state is prepared to implement a cost-effective replacement of propane supplies currently provided by the natural gas liquids the Line 5 pipeline transports," said Nessel. "The Governor's UP Energy Task Force is  focusing on the steps necessary to ensure we meet the energy needs of all Michiganders for generations to come and I commend the task force for their prompt work on this issue."

Key findings in the technical report showing that shutting down Line 5 need not cause propane shortages or large price spikes, include the following:

• The identification of a number of robust and diverse alternative supply options for delivery to the Michigan market such as transporting propane by rail from other supply hubs; and
• Supply disruptions will likely result in only modest wholesale price increases.

In her comments, Nessel also endorsed and, in some instances, proposed strengthening specific task force recommendations, including these:

• Making full use of and expanding propane storage;
• Improving transportation infrastructure such as rail lines; 
• Making propane more affordable, especially to low income families; and
• Strengthening consumer protection laws.

On p. 2 of her letter, Nessel comments on Michigan's immediate need to plan for the shutdown of Line 5 and on her lawsuit against Enbridge:

"Michigan needs to quickly plan for the shutdown of Line 5 and the cost-effective replacement of propane supplies currently produced from the natural gas liquids it transports. I have filed a lawsuit on behalf of the people of the State of Michigan against Enbridge in the Ingham County Circuit Court that alleges and asks the court to determine that Enbridge’s continued operation of Line 5 at the Straits of Mackinac is unlawful and should be halted as soon as possible after a reasonable period of notice, to allow those affected to make orderly adjustments. Dana Nessel, Attorney General v Enbridge Energy, Inc, et al (Ingham Circuit No. 19-474-CE). As alleged in the Complaint, the continued operation of the Straits Pipelines presents an extraordinary and unreasonable risk to public rights, violates the public trust doctrine, constitutes a public nuisance and violates the Michigan Environmental Protection Act, MCL 324.1701, et seq. The case remains pending. While it is obviously not the charge of the UP Energy Task Force or the Report to adopt a position on these legal issues, the Task Force recommendations should take into account the potential for the litigation to result in the shutdown of Line 5 in the near future."

Nessel also warns about potential risk of damage to the pipeline, based on a 2018 anchor strike:

"Second, apart from the pending litigation, the Straits Pipelines are subject to the continuing risk of damage and service interruption though an anchor strike. This risk is very real, as evidenced by the April 2018 incident in which an anchor was dragged across the lakebed striking both pipelines, as well [as] previous incidents involving anchor damage to utility lines at the Straits," Nessel notes.*

UP Energy Task Force member Roman Sidortsov (pictured in the Video Report below) commented on Attorney General Nessel's letter (note that his comment is based on his personal views -- not made on behalf of the UP Energy Task Force -- and it does not in any way reflect the views that other Task Force members might have).

"I would like to thank Ms. Nessel for recognizing the work of the UP Energy Task Force," Sidortsov says. "Relying on a single source of supply for the vast majority of a critically important fuel is a bad idea. As a co-author of the Independent Risk Analysis, I am familiar with this source. Line 5 is 67 years old and 645 miles long, 535 of which are in Michigan. As our study showed, the pipeline is vulnerable, and not just where it crosses the Straits of Mackinac. In this regard, as one of our interviewees described it, the pipeline is one errant backhoe strike away from a disaster, risking tens of thousands UP homes going cold. You do not put all your eggs in one basket and this is precisely what continuing the status quo would amount to.

"In addition, I would like to thank the Attorney General and her staff for the work they are doing to protect the interests of the people of Michigan. Our study showed overwhelming public concern regarding the Line 5 issue, and the work of the AG’s office is exactly what an accountable and effective government should do in serving its people."

Local residents comment on Task Force draft report

According to David Camps, owner of Blue Terra Energy and a member of the UP Energy Task Force, the Task Force recommendations are just the beginning; and the legal battle between Enbridge and the State of Michigan, as well as the follow-up on the Task Force recommendations, as noted by Nessel, will take time.

"The results of this litigation -- along with the potential for extreme weather events, Line 5 or Line 1 failures and increasing competition by oversees markets -- represent risk to the price and availability of our propane supply," Camps commented to Keweenaw Now. "We also have the Covid -19 virus that has disrupted our normal lives and put propane use on the back burner for most consumers. The pandemic will pass and it will get cold and snowy again next fall."

Camps, who is a propane user himself, suggests actions that can be taken by UP propane users to increase resilience of the home or business to propane supply disruptions and price increases. He suggests such measures as tracking one's annual use of propane to prepare for energy efficiency upgrades, keeping the tank full at 50 percent rather than 25 percent, doing an energy audit to identify efficiency needs, improving insulation and weatherization, and adding an alternative form of heat if possible and safe.

"I am a propane user and have done most of these to my home," Camps said. "My annual propane use went from 1200 gallons down to less than 400 gallons and has given us peace of mind with respect to propane disruptions."

Catherine Andrews, a member of FOLK and resident of L'Anse Township in Baraga County, sent the UP Energy Task Force her comments on the draft report on April 6, thanking them for their recommendations and due diligence in their mission. As a propane user herself, Andrews notes the need for regulating the propane industry and expanding consumer protection legislation.

"Price differences of $.30 per gallon for a prepaid contract with individual suppliers might be discouraged," Andrews writes. "Price gouging could be more easily monitored. One supplier who raised rates during the 2013-2014 polar vortex admitted (inadvertently) in 2020 that he did not have a supply shortage during that crisis. With regulation and protections, low income residents could be spared having to pay the highest prices. State contracts could also help stabilize prices.

"A regulatory authority could identify the amount of propane supplied per state or facility to Michigan so the PSC (Public Service Commission) would not have to make assumptions about Michigan’s propane supply. There would also be better data on trucking and rail supply options. When regarding rail, please consider steeper grades and more challenging winter weather conditions in the higher elevations of the western UP."

Andrews concludes by thanking the Task Force for including conservation and energy efficiency in their report.

"As we are evaluating our priorities during the Covid-19 epidemic, it is a good time to focus on our needs vs. our wants. Expanding conservation and energy efficiency is good for everyone and must be available to those with the greatest need. Using hydrocarbons to produce unnecessary plastic is a regrettable mistake and should also be addressed while looking for solutions to our energy challenges," Andrews notes.

Video report: Presentation at Portage Library on phase 1 of UP Energy Task Force work on UP propane supply

On Feb. 22, 2020, at the invitation of FOLK, Task Force members Roman Sidortsov and Jenn Hill presented an unofficial, informal overview and update of the state of propane supply to the Upper Peninsula and potential impacts
of future disruptions. (In this informal presentation, they were not representing the Task Force.)

"Michigan's residential propane use is the highest of any state in the United States," said Hill in her introduction to the overview of propane transport and supply in Michigan.

During a Feb. 22, 2020, presentation at Portage Lake District Library in Houghton, UP Energy Task Force member Jenn Hill uses a map of Michigan to compare propane use in the Upper and Lower peninsulas of the state. (Videos by Keweenaw Now)

Task Force member Roman Sidortsov then joined Hill to explain how propane is produced from natural gas liquids and transported in Michigan from oil sands in Canada.

Roman Sidortsov and Jenn Hill explain how propane comes to the UP from Canada, including the processing in Rapid River, Mich.

Here Sidortsov and Hill point out the international repercussions of transporting natural gas liquids that become propane through Michigan for export from Sarnia in Canada.

Hill presented three possible scenarios that could disrupt the propane supply and their impacts:

Hill speaks about three possible scenarios -- disruption of Line 1, disruption of Line 5 and extreme weather events -- that could impact propane supply to the UP. She also mentions energy efficiency, encourages those in the audience to send comments, and reads from the charter of the UP Energy Task Force.

Sidortsov then pointed out the importance of public comments on this issue, noting as an example the positive effect of public comments on the study led by Michigan Tech, in which he participated, which led to the 2018 report, "Independent Risk Analysis for the Straits Pipelines."

Sidortsov compares Michigan's progressive work on energy to other places he has lived, noting why he is excited about living here. He notes the importance of making public comments to the UP Energy Task Force.

FOLK board member Rosemary Grier told Keweenaw Now Sidortsov and Hill presented "an excellent and informative overview, with updates of our UP energy propane system and opportunities for discussion."

Grier noted several important facts she learned from the presentation:

• Michigan is more dependent on propane/natural gas liquids(NGLs) than other states.
• 18 percent of UP residents (herself included) use and depend on propane.
• Line 5 carries and delivers the majority of NGLs to the UP, coming from Canada on Line 1.
• There is very limited storage for extra propane in the UP.
• There are many possibilities for line disruptions.
• Propane prices will continue to rise to compete with the accelerated production for shipping overseas to primarily make plastics.
• UP residents need a diversified, affordable, reliable, environmentally sound, and secure system for energy delivery.

"Jenn and Roman encouraged a 'What's next' approach to solving these realities. We need to think creatively when it comes to sound UP energy issues," Grier said. "The current system is not diversified, reliable, secure, ecologically sound, and threatens affordability, especially with our changing climates and increasing global exports."

Grier added her appreciation for Gov. Whitmer's creating the UP Energy Task Force, the public meetings held throughout the UP, and Jenn and Roman's encouragement of public comments and suggestions to the Task Force.

During the question-answer session following the presentation, Linda Rulison, president of FOLK, thanked the speakers and noted FOLK members have attended several of the Task Force meetings and made comments.

Linda Rulison, president of FOLK, thanks Sidortsov and Hill for their presentation and expresses appreciation for the work the UP Energy Task Force is doing. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

After reviewing the analysis and recommendations in the Draft of the UP Energy Task Force Committee Recommendations Part 1 - Propane Supply, FOLK's board of directors sent a letter to the Task Force on April 6 endorsing the Task Force recommendations.**

"We find the balance of consumer, business and government interests to be commendable," FOLK comments. "The UP needs alternatives to the aging Enbridge Line 5, which is an environmental hazard. The citizens of the UP who rely upon propane for heating and other household uses need affordable and reliable energy. We want to avoid the price spikes and lack of propane availability that occurred during the severe winter of 2013-14. With the ability of American gas companies to export liquified natural gas, we are subject to global price fluctuations as well as shortages that could place UP residents in danger. All interested parties throughout the UP were heard by the Committee members.

"We further urge Governor Whitmer to set up a state implementing body to carry out the recommendations and to seek legislative approval for those recommendations where there are gaps in state statutes."

Notes:

* Click here to read Attorney General Dana Nessel's complete Apr. 6 letter to the UP Energy Task Force.

** See the UP Energy Task Force Web site for more information on their work, links to presentations and public meetings, details on making public comments and more.

U.P. Energy Task Force to meet via video conferencing Apr. 13; public urged to participate

During the UP Energy Task Force meeting on Sept. 20, 2019, at Finlandia's Jutila Center in Hancock, representatives of Plains Mainstream Canada, Enbridge, and SEMCO Energy Gas Co. gave presentations on their companies’ roles in supplying propane and natural gas to the U.P. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)*

From: EGLE (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy)

With recommendations on propane availability in the Upper Peninsula being finalized for submission to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the U.P. Energy Task Force is launching the second phase of its analysis of the U.P.’s energy needs now and in the future.

The Task Force will meet from 10 a.m. to noon (EDT) on Monday, April 13, using Microsoft Teams video conferencing. The Task Force meeting is being held in accordance with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendations designed to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Monday’s meeting is open to the public. To participate, go to Michigan.gov/UPEnergyTaskForce for the Microsoft Teams meeting link or, if participating by phone, a dial-in number and conference ID.

If you would like to share a public comment during the UP Energy Task Force special meeting on April 13, please send an email to EGLE-UPEnergy@Michigan.gov with your name and your intention to share a public comment. Those emails will be collected in order to create a roster and call on members of the public during the public comment section. Members of the public will also have an opportunity to add their name to the public comment roster during the meeting.

The Task Force on Monday will finalize its propane recommendations with a deadline of April 17 to submit the report to the Governor. More than 800 public comments were received. The final recommendations, technical document and appendices will be posted to Michigan.gov/UPEnergyTaskForce.

The Task Force next will begin its discussions about how to fulfill the Governor’s request in her Executive Order to formulate alternative solutions for meeting the U.P.’s energy needs, with a focus on security, reliability, affordability and environmental soundness. The Governor also asked the Task Force to identify and evaluate potential changes that could occur to energy supply and distribution in the U.P.; the economic, environmental and other impacts of such changes; and alternatives for meeting the U.P.’s energy needs due to such changes.

Public feedback is encouraged in a number of ways: comment at Monday’s meeting and future meetings, emailed to EGLE-UPEnergy@Michigan.gov or mailed to U.P. Energy Task Force, c/o Michigan Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, Attn. James Clift, Deputy Director, P.O. Box 30473, Lansing, MI 48909.

A report on overall U.P. energy issues and alternatives is due by March 31, 2021.

For current and up-to-date information regarding the Coronavirus visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

* Editor's Note: Links to videos and slide presentations of the Sept. 20, 2019, meeting of the UP Energy Task Force and their more recent meetings can be found on the Task Force Web site.

U.P. Energy Task Force to meet March 13; public can comment through April 6

During an informal discussion session in February at the Portage Lake District Library in Houghton, U.P. Energy Task Force members Jennifer Hill, Marquette City Commissioner and contractor with Citizens Utility Board of Michigan, and Roman Sidortsov, Michigan Tech assistant professor of Energy, offer residents an update on the first phase of the UP Energy Task Force work on propane supply and transport. Michigan's residential propane use is the highest in the U.S. Hill and Sidortsov were not speaking on behalf of the Task Force but were relating information they have learned from being members of it. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

LANSING -- Members of the U.P. Energy Task Force will meet Friday, March 13, in Harris and Lansing to review a final technical report on propane availability in the Upper Peninsula and discuss a draft of the panel’s recommendations.

The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. with U.P. members of the Task Force in the Wolf Conference Room at the Island Resort and Casino, W399 Highway 2 and 41, in Harris, and Lansing-area members in the Lee Walker Conference Room on the atrium level of Constitution Hall, 525 West Allegan Street, Lansing. There will be a public comment period at both locations beginning at 11 a.m.

The Draft Recommendations of the Upper Peninsula Energy Task Force Part I - Propane Supply contains proposed actions the Governor, Legislature, and state agencies may consider pursuing to better track and anticipate supply and demand, minimize disruption impact, and provide a more cohesive plan for those who are disproportionately affected by high energy costs in the U.P.

This slide from the presentation at Portage Library lists some of the propane issues that could be included in the Task Force report. Click on photo for larger version. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

The draft document will be posted next week to the Task Force’s website, Michigan.gov/UPEnergyTaskForce.

Public comments on the recommendations section of the draft document can be submitted via email to EGLE-UPEnergy@Michigan.gov. All comments submitted through April 6 will be considered by the Task Force for possible inclusion in the final report, which is due to the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by April 17. The submission date was extended to allow for a longer public review period.

People who need special assistance to participate can contact Kimber Frantz at 517-284-5035 in advance of the meeting.

Gov. Whitmer’s Executive Order outlined specific goals for the U.P. Energy Task Force:

• Assess the U.P.’s overall energy needs and how they are being met.

• Formulate alternative solutions for meeting the U.P.’s energy needs, with a focus on security, reliability, affordability, and environmental soundness. This includes, but is not limited to, alternative means to supply the energy sources used by U.P. residents, and alternatives to those energy sources.

•  Identify and evaluate potential changes that could occur to energy supply and distribution in the U.P.; the economic, environmental, and other impacts of such changes; and alternatives for meeting the U.P.’s energy needs due to such changes.

The draft propane document is the first of two reports the U.P. Energy Task Force is to submit to the Governor. A full report on overall U.P. energy issues and alternatives is due March 31, 2021.

Follow the activities of the U.P. Energy Task Force at Michigan.gov/UPEnergyTaskForce.

Please send your comments regarding the work of the UP Energy Task Force to: EGLE-UPEnergy@Michigan.gov. Comments submitted via the above email address will be shared with all UP Energy Task Force members. Comments submitted will become part of the public record and subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Watchdog group reveals Enbridge influence campaign aimed at county officials fueled by oil money; UP Energy Task Force to meet in Hancock

The Michigan Association of Counties Facebook page proudly displays Enbridge's sponsorship. (Image courtesy Oil and Water Don't Mix.)  

By Michele Bourdieu, with information from Oil and Water Don't Mix

Michigan Campaign Finance Network report puts a spotlight on a wide-ranging campaign using money to win support for dangerous Line 5 oil pipelines and proposed tunnel.

A revealing new report by a respected, independent governmental watchdog organization documents how the Canadian oil transport giant Enbridge is buying influence with Michigan public officials as part of a multimillion-dollar media and lobbying campaign aimed at keeping its dangerous Line 5 oil pipelines in the Great Lakes and gaining approval for a proposed pipeline oil tunnel to possibly replace them.

The Michigan Campaign Finance Network in a new investigation found that, after Enbridge bought $63,000 in paid sponsorships and ads with the Michigan Association of Counties, the group pushed through a resolution backing Enbridge’s Line 5. Houghton County is among several Michigan counties that have already signed the resolution.

The counties’ group deployed its lobbyist to write pro-Line 5 resolutions for counties. Moreover, the watchdog group obtained an email from Enbridge lobbyist Deb Muchmore revealing Muchmore’s lobbying of an Oakland County commissioner, including providing "key messages" that have largely been debunked by the news media and other sources. That same document is also apparently being widely distributed to state lawmakers.

The report also raises questions about whether Grand Traverse County commissioners violated Michigan’s Open Meetings Act by discussing the Line 5 resolution privately through emails out of the public light.

The Michigan Anishinaabek Caucus, which opposes Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline and proposed tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac, posted on their Facebook page a corrected version of the Line 5 resolution signed by the Grand Traverse County commissioners. It sheds a light on documented facts that may be unknown to many public officials. (To access this corrected version of the resolution visit the Michigan Anishinaabek Caucus Facebook page and click on files.)

Houghton County Republican Commissioners vote for Line 5 Resolution 

In Houghton County, the resolution was added to the July 9, 2019, agenda during the meeting. It was not included in the agenda posted for the public and commissioners before the meeting and was not mentioned in the packet of information given to the commissioners for the meeting.

During their July 9, 2019, meeting, Houghton County Commissioners voted 3 (Republicans) to 2 (Democrats) to sign the Enbridge Resolution of support for Line 5 and the proposed tunnel.

According to the minutes of the July 9, 2019, meeting of the Houghton County Board of Commissioners, "A Motion was made by Chairman Koskela seconded by Commissioner Britz to adopt the Resolution for Line 5. Commissioner Anderson expressed concerns and wanted to hear what the State intends to do regarding this matter. Commissioner Janssen stated she wanted more information on this matter. The Motion carried by the following vote: YES:  Koskela, Britz, Tikkanen 3. NO: Anderson, Janssen 2."

Commissioner Gretchen Janssen told Keweenaw Now she voted no because she wasn't prepared to make an educated response at the time of the meeting.

"I now understand the benefits of Line 5 but believe the environmental impact if the line broke is far greater than the benefits of the line," Janssen said. "I would still say no to that resolution. Also, I don’t like being an elected official being asked to endorse a company. It just seems inappropriate to me."

Commissioner Glenn Anderson said he voted no on the Resolution and, at the time, said why he did.

"I said any action on line 5 was premature while we are waiting for Governor Whitmer's Up Energy Task Force, which has been directed by March 31st (2020) to identify cost effective propane sources to replace the estimated 35 million gallons of annual propane that comes to the UP via line 5," Anderson told Keweenaw Now.

UP Energy Task Force to hold public meeting in Hancock Sept. 20

In fact, Governor Whitmer's Up Energy Task Force is scheduled for a series of public meetings on the Line 5/propane issues, and their next meeting will be in Hancock at Finlandia University's Jutila Center.

The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, in the Leroy Keranen Conference Room 323 of the Jutila Center, 200 Michigan St., Hancock.

The meeting will include a presentation, a lunch break, and an opportunity for the public to make comments from 2:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

The UP Energy Task Force was created by Executive Order No. 2019-14. The charge to the Task Force according to section 2(a) of the Executive Order is to do the following:

• Assess the UP’s overall energy needs and how they are currently being met.
• Formulate alternative solutions for meeting the UP’s energy needs, with a focus on security, reliability, affordability, and environmental soundness. This shall include, but is not limited to, alternative means to supply the energy sources currently used by UP residents, and alternatives to those energy sources.
• Identify and evaluate potential changes that could occur to energy supply and distribution in the UP; the economic, environmental, and other impacts of such changes; and the alternatives for meeting the UP’s energy needs in response to such changes.*

The Task Force's first report, due March 31, 2020, is to be focused on alternative means to supply propane to the UP consistent with section 2(a) of the Executive Order. The Task Force is required to submit the remainder of its report, also consistent with section 2(a), by March 31, 2021.

Written comments regarding the work of the UP Energy Task Force can also be submitted via email to EGLE-UPEnergy@Michigan.gov and will be shared with all UP Energy Task Force members. Comments submitted will become part of the public record and subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Enbridge pumps money into media ads, lobbying for Michigan and Minnesota pipelines

Enbridge’s wide-ranging campaign to persuade Michigan to keep Line 5 pumping oil through the Straits of Mackinac has seen the Canadian corporation and its partners pumping money into print, online, and radio ads in virtually every media market and sponsorships of public radio stations, who in exchange for Enbridge’s money repeat Enbridge’s messages, often multiple times a day. For the first seven months this year, Enbridge spent $105,728 on lobbying, more than the entirety of 2018, according to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.

Enbridge’s intensive spending in Michigan on paid lobbying and media ads this year mirrors a similar oil pipeline campaign in Minnesota where the Canadian company has spent $13 million trying to force governmental approval of a pipeline there. It follows the action by Enbridge last year to funnel more than $126,000 into a Michigan Chamber of Commerce PAC that unsuccessfully challenged the Voters Not Politicians redistricting reform measure passed overwhelmingly by voters.

"Enbridge is purchasing influence and political support in Michigan, plain and simple, and they are poisoning our politics along with our Great Lakes environment," said Sean McBrearty, Oil and Water Don’t Mix coordinator. "Our elected representatives are supposed to represent the people. We can’t trust them to do that when they are financially beholden to Enbridge and their oil and gas industry allies."**

Editor's Notes:

* See our June 10, 2019, article, "Gov. Whitmer signs executive order creating UP Energy Task Force."

** Thanks to Oil and Water Don't Mix for information about the Michigan Campaign Finance Network investigation. You can learn more about Line 5 and sign a petition against Enbridge's tunnel project here.

Gov. Whitmer signs executive order creating UP Energy Task Force

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. (Photo courtesy Michigan.gov)

LANSING -- On June 7, 2019, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order that creates the UP Energy Task Force, which will do the following: assess the UP’s overall energy needs and how they are currently being met; identify and evaluate potential changes in energy supply and distribution; and formulate alternative solutions to meet the UP’s energy needs -- including alternatives to the current distribution of propane through Line 5, which poses an unacceptable threat to The Great Lakes.

"Our jobs, economy, and public health depend on the preservation of The Great Lakes, which literally define us as a state," said Whitmer. "Enbridge has a disappointing safety record in Michigan, and the dual pipelines that run through the Straits of Mackinac create an unacceptable risk of an oil spill by anchor strike or other means. Such an event would be catastrophic for The Great Lakes and our economy, and would send energy costs skyrocketing for UP families. This task force will help make recommendations that ensure the UP's energy needs are met in a manner that is reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound."

UP residents are currently incurring some of the highest electricity rates in the nation. Implementing real energy solutions will begin to rein in these high rates and provide relief to hardworking UP residents.

Moreover, about 25 percent of UP residents use propane for home heating, and much of that propane is delivered through the Line 5 pipeline. The future of Line 5, however, is uncertain.  As a report this week from the National Transportation Safety Board made abundantly clear, only by happenstance did Michigan avoid a catastrophic oil spill in The Great Lakes just last year, when a 12,000 pound anchor inadvertently dragged across the bottomlands of the Straits of Mackinac struck Line 5.* The unacceptable threat posed by the continued operation of the pipelines through the Straits, as well as the lack of an established back-up propane distribution system were Line 5 to malfunction, make developing alternative solutions a priority.

Attorney General Dana Nessel commented in support of Gov. Whitmer's Executive Order establishing the U.P. Energy Task Force.

"I commend Gov. Whitmer for taking a proactive approach to ensuring our UP residents have a long-term solution that reins in the exorbitant energy costs they face each day," Nessel said. "Enbridge has made clear its primary focus is its bottom line. And while the Governor and I work in tandem to decommission Line 5 as quickly as possible to protect our Great Lakes and the health and safety of our residents, her task force is a necessary step to ensure we meet the energy needs of all our state’s residents for generations to come."

Executive Order 2019-14 establishes the UP Energy Task Force, which will address the significant energy challenges that UP residents are facing. This task force will look for alternative, long-term solutions to rein in UP energy rates in regions facing the highest costs and identify alternatives to meeting the UP’s current propane-supply needs. The UP Energy Task Force is charged to do the following:

• Be an advisory body to the governor within the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE).
• Consist of at least 13 voting members appointed by the governor, all of whom must be Michigan residents and possess relevant expertise.
• Formulate solutions for meeting the UP’s energy needs, with a focus on security, reliability, affordability, and environmental soundness.
•  Complete a final report in two stages. First, by submitting a propane plan to the governor by March 31, 2020, which will focus on alternative means to supply propane in the event of a Line 5 shut down. Second, by submitting the remainder of its report by March 31, 2021. 

This executive order will be effective immediately upon filing.

To view the full executive order click here.

Inset photo: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

* Editor's Note: See our June 5, 2019, article, "Michigan AG Nessel: Safety Board Report on Line 5 Anchor Strike means operating Line 5 'incredibly dangerous.'"