November 30, 2016

Rover Pipeline Benefits Michigan Chemical Industry

Lansing State Journal recently published an opinion piece by John Dulmes, executive director of the Michigan Chemistry Council, on the importance of access to natural gas and the role that the Rover Pipeline will play in providing that access in Michigan. He provides some insight into the chemistry industry and how businesses relying on natural gas produce a wide variety of consumer products:

While most people are instinctively familiar with everyday products like shoes, clothing, packaging, tires, paints and carpeting – they may not realize that many of these products are made through chemistry with materials derived from natural gas. And in the past decade, we’ve seen unparalleled opportunities for the business of chemistry in Michigan and across the United States because of abundant sources of domestic natural gas in the Marcellus and Utica shale formations.

But our nation’s chemistry companies need infrastructure to deliver more natural gas from the sites of production to end markets. Midstream pipelines are a critical component in the chemical supply chain. While new infrastructure is coming online, more is needed.

As Mr. Dulmes goes on to relate, the Rover Pipeline can help meet that demand from the chemistry industry:

The Rover Pipeline will deliver 3 billion cubic feet of much-needed natural gas supplies each day to the Michigan and Ohio regions. Currently, our states are largely dependent upon out-of-state production to meet their supply needs—a situation that has caused serious constraints throughout the supply chain, particularly during the winter months.

Ultimately, the Rover Pipeline will be constructed responsibly, with minimal impacts to communities in Michigan. Rover has developed a thorough plan that meets or exceeds all state and federal regulations. This level of preparation has already garnered favorable reviews from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

CEPI applauds Mr. Dulmes for articulating the many benefits of regional access to natural gas and the midstream infrastructure that provides it. Further we echo his concluding remarks in encouraging “our regulators and lawmakers to support critical energy infrastructure projects like the Rover Pipeline with a timely review process in order to catalyze the many benefits they bring to Michigan and the region at large.”