Ready to root for your favorite football team or grab the gear for some fall fishing?
Maybe you’re preparing your home for the fall and winter or eager to start holiday baking.
Unknown to many, Enbridge Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac plays a year-round role in the majority of Michiganders’ activities.
“Line 5 in the Straits is essential to transportation, healthcare, heating, farming, recreation and manufacturing,” said Paul Meneghni, Enbridge manager of Community Engagement for the Michigan and Great Lakes Region.
“We continually emphasize the vital role of keeping Line 5 in the Straits operating safely and reliably, because candidly, people depend on it.”
Propane heats and powers Michigan homes
Michigan uses more propane for residential heating than any other state, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Line 5 carries natural gas liquids (NGLs) that are refined and turned into propane. The propane is then delivered to homes and businesses ahead of the upcoming winter.
This year, according to Severe Weather Europe, an independent weather platform that specializes in long-range winter forecasts, the upcoming 2026-27 winter has the potential to be extreme and harsh.
The report predicts Michigan and the northern United States will likely face an increased chance of freezing temperatures and significant snowfall during mid-to-late winter.
“Line 5 is ready to help Michiganders get through the fall and winter, no matter the severity of the weather,” continued Meneghini.
Line 5 is crucial for consumer products
While perhaps best known for meeting 55% of Michigan's statewide propane needs, Line 5 also is at the heart of transporting Michiganders—to work, school, home and any number of other places.
Line 5 contributes to the actual manufacturer of cars, trucks, cycles, planes and other vehicles and provides Michigan and regional refineries with the light crude oil necessary to process jet fuel, gasoline and diesel for cars, trucks and commercial planes.
In addition to vehicles, the manufacture of televisions, telephones, sports equipment, clothing, eyewear, allergy medication, and baking and cookware are among the more than 6,000 items reliant on product transported from Line 5.
“To help ensure Michiganders can continue to benefit from the energy Line 5 delivers each day, Enbridge is committed to building the Great Lakes Tunnel,” said Erica Fink, Enbridge’s regional area operations manager in northern Michigan.
In preparation for constructing the Tunnel, Enbridge has facilitated more than 40,000 hours of environmental surveys in the Straits.
Following the comprehensive review of the survey results, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Aug. 12 issued a federal permit that marked a significant step toward Enbridge’s construction of the Tunnel.
The Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy also reissued key environmental permits for the project.
“The tunnel is a significant undertaking to advancing energy reliability and environmental safeguards for Michigan and the region,” said Fink.
“The Corps’ Environmental Impact Statement represents the highest standard of environmental review required for major critical energy and infrastructure projects and comes as we are entering seven years of conducting surveys, obtaining public input and undertaking engineering and design.”
Enbridge plans to build the tunnel deep below the lakebed of the Straits to house the Line 5 pipeline. The tunnel also could be used for other utilities, such as fiber optic cable.
