(Dec. 22, 2025) — A federal judge ruled on Dec. 17 that Michigan does not have authority to shut down the Line 5 pipeline. The pipeline, which runs through the Straits of Mackinac, has experienced a number of safety challenges, including damage in multiple areas and a near rupture after being struck by a tugboat anchor in 2018. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered the pipeline shut down in 2020 due to the damage and the risk of spilling oil, and it has sense faced many legal hurdles, including a 2020 lawsuit from pipeline owner Enbridge Energy against the state over the order.
United States District Judge Robert Jonker ruled in this case to block the state from closing the pipeline, which the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) in a news release hailed as a “major legal victory” for the propane industry. Jonker’s order blocks the shutdown on the basis that pipeline safety and protection of the Straits “are critical interests to be sure. But when it comes to Line 5, they are the responsibility of the United States, and Michigan lacks the power to interfere.” In other words, it's in the hands of Congress, not the state.
As NPGA noted in its news release, efforts to shut down Line 5 would also “interfere with U.S. foreign affairs authority vested exclusively in the federal government.” Enbridge Energy also reports on its website that Line 5 "supplies 65% of propane demand in the Upper Peninsula and 55% of Michigan's statewide propane needs," making it a critical component of propan infrastructure in the region.
In his decision, Jonker further stated that “Congress expressly preempted state regulation of interstate pipeline safety through the Pipeline Safety Act of 1992. Moreover, two sovereign nations — the United States and Canada — agree that Michigan’s attempt to shut down Line 5 interferes with their explicit federal foreign policy positions and trade relations.”
The Michigan attorney general’s office is reviewing next steps following the ruling, including appeal. Meanwhile, Enbridge Energy, NPGA and the propane industry are celebrating Jonker’s decision as a win for energy reliability.
