IPL is one of the few safe energy plays nowMichigan has followed through on their threat to legally force the shut down of Line 5 to protect the environment. (see below)
Blaming Trudeau for Alberta's woes is foolish now. It is way bigger than Trudeau. Its becoming a world wide movement. Forest fires, scorching heat in Europe in June, melting iceburgs off New Foundland, tornadoes in the US in early spring and huricane season starting early have turned the tide against oil.
Is climate change true? Doesn't matter because the green folks have already won the battle and the public (as well as the courts) are getting behind them. This makes Alberta public enemy number 1. Kenny can huff and puff all he wants but no one is listening.
IPL however is in the sweet spot. They own pipe's with lots of capacity. They can easily do tuck in investments to increase capacity as needed without major regulatory approval. And boy does Alberta need it. Their storage business will be in high demand for years to come. And the new plastic's plant is the biggest growth project IPL has every done. This plant is a game changer for Ebita and the dividend.
IPL and investors are in the sweet spot.
Michigan suing Enbridge to shut down Line 5 pipeline running through Straits of Mackinac Megan Devlin
Jeffrey Jones Mergers and Acquisitions Reporter
Published June 27, 2019 Updated 9 minutes ago
For Subscribers
17 Comments A key Enbridge Inc. oil pipeline in the United States faces a heightened risk of getting shut down after Michigan’s Attorney-General made good on a threat to take legal action against the company.
It is not known how long the lawsuit will take to play out, but a court order stopping the flow of crude through Enbridge’s Line 5 on environmental grounds would hurt Canadian oil producers just as they seek to build more capacity to boost access to markets.
Michigan Attorney-General Dana Nessel says she wants the line shut off “as soon as possible.” She alleges the twinned pipeline, built in the 1950s, that runs underwater in the Straits of Mackinac is a risk because it’s likely to pollute the Great Lakes if it were to rupture.
The Calgary-based company has been in negotiations with the state, hoping to run the line for five more years while it digs a tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac to house a replacement pipeline. Those talks broke down this month.
“The location of the pipelines – which carry millions of gallons of oil each day and lie exposed in open water at the bottom of the Straits – combines great ecological sensitivity with exceptional vulnerability to anchor strikes,” Ms. Nessel said in a statement.
"I have consistently stated that Enbridge’s pipelines in the Straits need to be shut down as soon as possible because they present an unacceptable risk to the Great Lakes,” she said.
Line 5 delivers 540,000 barrels a day of Alberta crude to refineries in Southwestern Ontario. It also takes petroleum products such as diesel and propane back to Michigan.
Enbridge said it will operate the pipeline as the legal process plays out, but does not have an indication yet how long that will be. The company is disappointed the state government declined its offer to continue discussions with a moderator instead of using litigation, spokesman Ryan Duffy said.
The situation represents another threat to the oil patch’s export hopes after producers and their investors were heartened by this month’s reapproval by Ottawa of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion between Alberta and the West Coast.
Canadian oil prices had tumbled to unprofitable levels in 2018 due partly to chronically tight pipeline capacity. They rebounded this year after the Alberta government’s decision to limit the industry’s production. Late last year, Western Canada Select (WCS) heavy crude blend sold for more than US$40 a barrel less than U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) as supplies backed up within the province. Currently, WCS is selling for US$13 less than WTI, according to Net Energy Exchange.