The Minnesota Court of Appeals will hear arguments this week over Enbridge Energy’s new Line 3 pipeline across the state.
The project is already half-completed, but the appeals court could stop the work.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved the pipeline, but the Minnesota Department of Commerce says oil demand will fall as the world moves away from fossil fuel – lessening the need for the pipeline.
Enbridge says its pipelines in northern Minnesota can’t meet the demands from oil shippers right now and it argues that will continue for a long time.
Over 200 protesters of Line 3 have been arrested so far on various charges, with many pledging solidarity to bring their cases to trial.
Enbridge recently announced a planned two-month hiatus, with work scheduled to resume in June.
