How significant are the jobs needed to build Line 3 and to operate the pipeline?

The University of Minnesota Duluth did an economic impact analysis on the Line 3 Replacement project. As reported in Business North, the impact study found that the two-year construction phase of the Line 3 project will:

• Produce an economic impact exceeding $2 billion in Minnesota. Of that amount,  $1.5 billion will be contributed by Enbridge.
• Directly and indirectly support 8,600 jobs. They will include 4,200 construction jobs, 2,100 local of them in local communities and 2,100 non-local, support 2,800 retail/hospitality sector jobs and 1,600 local supplier/manufacturer jobs.
• Contribute approximately $334 million in total employee wages and benefits.
• Infuse $162 million (about 50 percent of total wages) for local workers.
• Have a value added impact of $745 million on the region.
• Add $162 million in total economic impact from non-local worker spending on meals, lodging, and incidentals while working in the study area.

The project will have a high number of skilled jobs and training that help build well-paying careers. When interviewed for WCCO Radio’s Fluence Forum, Kevin Pranis of Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) spoke about the types of quality jobs Line 3 will bring and the impact it will have on skilled labor:

“There’s a lot of skill involved, and when we talk about job numbers, it’s easy to throw those numbers around, but what’s most important to us is job quality. If you talk about the kinds of jobs that are created and the kinds of skills – these are part of a construction career. It’s not just a job, it’s not a temporary job, as it’s sometimes called.”

In addition, skilled workers in Minnesota’s refineries continue to depend on the oil provided by the Enbridge system and the increased capacity of the replacement Line 3. Jake Reint, from Flint Hills Resources explains:

“Our refinery is not a lot of good without the Enbridge system supplying it. So we’ve invested the equivalent of two Vikings stadiums in the last ten years. We have roughly a thousand employees on site, between 500 and 3,000 contractors on site on any given day depending on what’s going on. And these are skilled workers.”

The Line 3 replacement will provide thousands of quality jobs and an economic boost during the construction phase of the project, continue to support the workforce associated with the energy from Line 3, and provide a lasting investment in the careers of these workers.

Additional Information:

• New study: Economic impact of Enbridge Line 3 will be massive
• Enbridge’s economic impact on Minnesota
• 5-2-19 Fluence Forum – Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline
• Enbridge’s economic impact on Minnesota
• News Release: Minnesota’s Infrastructure Union Welcomes Final Approval of Certificate of Need, Tribal Economic Opportunity Plan for Line 3 Replacement Pipeline

The Truth about Line 3 

With so much information being shared and gathered about the Line 3 replacement project, it’s important to help everyone stay focused on the facts, address any misconceptions, and make sure that information about Line 3 is grounded in truth.

Minnesotans for Line 3 has identified some common questions about the project along with information, facts, and other background that answer those important questions.