Kinder Morgan’s Utopia Pipeline project will bring about $237 million worth of economic activity to Ohio, according to Kent State University researchers.

As reported by the The Intelligencer, Kinder Morgan hopes to begin construction on the 215-mile path early next year and plans to use it to ship Marcellus and Utica shale ethane from MarkWest Energy’s Harrison County facilities to Michigan by early 2018.

The firm anticipates about half the contractors and about 5 percent of the materials coming from Ohio. The approximate project cost is $500 million — $168 million for labor and $322 million for materials.

The Kent State study estimates the Utopia Pipeline will generate $4.9 million in tax revenue, create 2,132 direct and indirect jobs, contribute $144.9 million to Ohio’s gross state product and provide and $87.5 million uplift to the Ohio economy through additional income and spending.

Learn more: The Intelligencer > Study: Utopia Pipeline will bring Ohio $237M in Economic Activity