Minnesota Agency Recommends Against Pipeline Construction Project
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Department of Commerce says Enbridge Energy has failed to establish the need for its proposal to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota.
Instead, the department says it might be better to just shut down the existing line.
In filings with the Public Utilities Commission Monday, the agency says refineries in the region already have sufficient supplies and little capacity for processing more crude. And it says Minnesota’s demand for gasoline appears unlikely to increase over the long term.
The decision on granting a certificate of need for the project is up to the PUC, which is independent of Gov. Mark Dayton’s administration.
Dayton praised the work of Commerce Department staffers, but says he’ll await more information before expressing personal views on the project.
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