St. Paul, Minn. (March 26, 2019) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement in response to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission decision today not to reconsider, but uphold the Line 3 Replacement Project’s Certificate of Need:
“Jobs for Minnesotans firmly stands behind the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s (MPUC) decision to uphold the approval of the Line 3 Replacement Project Certificate of Need following the reconsideration hearing today. Time after time, the project has been deemed necessary by the MPUC in the best interest of the state. Today, the MPUC commissioners understood the sense of urgency to replace this line as much as when the Certificate of Need was first approved back in June 2018 and re-confirmed again in November 2018. We commend the MPUC’s diligence in upholding the thorough regulatory review process and rule of law.
“The Line 3 project is a critical $2.6 billion dollar private investment in Minnesota’s energy infrastructure, replacing an aging pipeline on which the state relies for energy security and economic competitiveness. The project will provide quality jobs to more than 6,500 Minnesota workers during the course of the project, including 2,100 family-sustaining construction jobs. And, bring Minnesota tradespeople back home to work.
“We encourage the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to stick to their schedules to issue permits and prevent any further delays to the Line 3 Replacement Project.”
About Jobs for Minnesotans
Jobs for Minnesotans, a coalition representing business, labor and communities, supports statewide opportunities for prosperity and middle-class jobs from sustainable natural resource development in Minnesota. The organization is committed to the principle that our state can preserve both job opportunities and the environment for future generations. Jobs for Minnesotans was co-founded in 2012 by the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council representing 55,000 workers and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce representing 2,300 companies and 500,000 employees. For more information, visit jobsforminnesotans.org, follow @JobsforMN on Twitter and find the coalition on Facebook.com/Jobs4MN.
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Media Contact: Nancy Norr, Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
Cell: 218.590.6978