COLUMBIA BASIN — Stakeholders gathered Wednesday to discuss a natural gas shortage in the Columbia Basin.

Representatives from businesses, utilities, cities, government and other organizations met at a natural gas summit, exploring solutions to increasing natural gas capacity in Othello and Grant County.

Port of Othello Director Mike Beardsley said Adams County lost business from two agriculture producers because it was unable to provide natural gas service.

The producers, along with an ethanol plant, lacking lacked both financing and natural gas, would have more than doubled the county’s natural gas usage, Beardsley said.

One of the agriculture plants was considering a $100 million investment, he noted.

“That’s why I’m so excited about trying to get natural gas out here,” he said.

Grant County Economic Development Council Executive Director Terry Brewer said the Grant County PUD is considering a turbine project that requires a significant amount of natural gas.

The project could influence Williams Northwest Pipeline systems to build a new line, Brewer said.

“In my opinion, that’s the kind of project needed to get a new pipeline in,” Brewer said.

Othello Mayor Shannon McKay spoke in support of increasing the area’s capacity for natural gas.

“It would be nice to have some extra capacity for businesses coming through,” McKay said. “We’ve lost the opportunity to probably double our gas consumption, but we have trouble just adding houses from our community at this time.”

A new pipeline could run alongside the PUD’s current system of 40 miles of 16-inch pipeline and 14 miles of 20-inch pipeline, said Williams Project Manager Hank Henrie. 

The new pipeline could extend about three extra miles, bringing service to Othello, said Business Development Consultant Xan Kotter.

Henrie said when a new pipeline is planned, other customers have an opportunity to participate in the expansion through a process called “open season.”

Brewer said during open season, customers would purchase additional capacity for future growth.