Oh Gee, I Guess We Need Oil Products After All: Walz Signs Exec. Order to Ease Fuel Delivery Amidst MN Gas Shortage

Oh gee, it looks like we need oil products in Minnesota, after all. According to the Pioneer Press, a shortage of gasoline and diesel fuel at some Minnesota gas stations has prompted Governor Walz to sign an executive order easing the delivery of these fuels so motorists are not stranded.

Before we give the Governor too much credit, though, let’s remember that his administration is the reason why the Line 3 oil pipeline replacement project has been delayed for another year. In the meantime, the old pipeline is operating at half of it’s potential capacity, and crude oil is rolling through Minnesota via rail.

This is a good time to remind everyone that oil provides 35 percent of Minnesota’s total energy, more than any other source. In fact, despite the fact that we have spent more than $15 billion on wind turbines and solar panels, these sources of energy accounted for a mere 5 percent of Minnesota’s total energy output in 2017, which is why the notion that we don’t need to replace Line 3 because we will soon have electric cars powered by wind turbines and solar panels is a complete fairy tale.

Despite this reality, the Minnesota Department of Commerce has argued we don’t need to replace the Line 3 pipeline because Enbridge did not prove there will be enough demand for oil in the future, but this is simply energy-illiterate logic. We will need oil for the foreseeable future, so we should transport it in the safest, and most cost effective way possible. It’s the best way to protect our economy, and improve our economy.

The current fuel shortage should be a learning moment for Governor Walz. His administration should stop pandering to anti-pipeline activists and do what is right for the people of Minnesota- approve the Line 3 replacement project immediately. Approving Line 3 will allow Minnesota to hedge its bets against future disruptions in oil supply (from an oil embargo, for example), and it also means the price oil in the our state will remain lower in the event of a global oil price spike.