Contact: Minnesota Public Utilities, Daniel P. Wolf
Telephone: 651-201-2217
Fax: 651-297-7073

St. Paul, Minnesota - The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has formally approved another increase in the pumping capacity for crude oil being shipped though Line 67 (also known as the “Alberta Clipper”). In the last 15 months, the Commission has authorized an almost doubling in the capacity of the pipeline. 

The recent Order from the Commission approved the request of Enbridge Energy (Enbridge) to increase the pumping capacity of Line 67 to its maximum capacity by adding four new pumping stations in Minnesota near existing Enbridge facilities at Donaldson, Plummer, Cass Lake, and Floodwood; located in Kittson, Red Lake, Cass, and St. Louis Counties, respectively. No new pipeline will be constructed as part of this project. 

The pipeline was initially approved and built at a capacity of 800,000 barrels per day (bpd), but the Commission’s original Certificate of Need in 2008 authorized the pipeline to be operated at 450,000 bpd. In August of last year, the Commission approved an increase in the pumping capacity of this pipeline from its original operating amount to 570,000 bpd (Phase 1). And the Order issued last week granted a Certificate of Need to upgrade Line 67’s pumping capacity from 570,000 to the maximum 800,000 bpd (Phase 2). 

The Commission evaluated the merits of this project under criteria established by Minnesota Statutes and Rules. The Commission found that the probable result of denying the increase in pumping capacity would be an adverse effect on the future adequacy and reliability of the energy supply to Enbridge, its customers, and residents of Minnesota and neighboring states. The Commission found that, given that demonstrated need, a more reasonable and prudent alternative to the proposed facility was not established in the record before the Commission. 

Affirming Enbridge’s stated corporate policy on its environmental footprint, the Commission also directed that the project itself have no net environmental impact. Enbridge must offset the power needed to operate the increased pumping capacity by developing the generation of electricity from renewable sources and must re-vegetate the areas impacted by the construction work involving new or affected existing pumping stations. Once the increased pumping capacity is operational, Enbridge must demonstrate to the Commission that it complied with these directives. 

The company intends to have the pipeline operating at maximum capacity by the end of 2015 but still must obtain a Presidential Permit from the United States Department of State. Line 67 transports crude oil extracted from oil sands in Canada to the United States. The line is 999 miles long, terminating in Superior, Wisconsin; about 285 miles are in Minnesota. Line 67 is part of Enbridge’s Mainline System, which includes pipelines throughout the United States and Canada. 

This Order can be found in Docket PL-9/CN-13-153, which is available