For more than 70 years, Cascade Natural Gas has been providing safe, reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible natural gas to residents in the Tri-Cities area. It’s a privilege we take seriously as we serve the needs of residential, commercial and industrial customers in the region.

Cascade Natural Gas employees assemble a new large volume meter set in the Kennewick district.

| Courtesy Cascade Natural Gas The Tri-Cities is the fastest-growing metro region in Washington. The number of gas connections served by Cascade has increased by 13% over the past five years, serving a population of more than 150,000 people. With growth comes the need to upgrade and modernize the infrastructure that delivers natural gas to homes and businesses.

Keeping pace with growth

Over the past five years, Cascade has spent $13.8 million on new growth in the Tri-Cities area. Most of the cost was associated with natural gas main and service installations in new home developments.

New growth also includes extending services to new commercial buildings and extending gas main and service to existing homes converting from other energy sources.

Cascade recognizes the critical role natural gas utilities play in supporting growing energy demand in the communities we serve, and the interdependence of the gas and electric systems. The importance of supporting growth affordably, reliably and sustainably was reinforced during a recent Regional Energy Symposium event in Portland, Oregon, where energy experts from across the Northwest discussed the challenges of maintaining resource adequacy and the importance of infrastructure investment as part of a well-coordinated and diversified energy system.

System improvements

Cascade has undertaken several significant projects to date. Additional projects are planned for 2026, including a town border station upgrade and high-pressure pipeline project in and around the Kennewick area.

These projects will work in conjunction with one another to increase service capabilities and system reliability, specifically in the western Kennewick and Richland areas.

The town border station project allows for increased capacity from our transmission supplier near the Columbia Park area.

The high-pressure pipeline project will install a 12-inch lateral pipeline from the upgraded town border station along Highway 240 and Columbia Park Trail toward Richland. A border station reduces the high pressure in transmission pipelines to a lower level for homes and businesses. Natural gas is colorless and odorless, so the border station is where we add an odorant, mercaptan, which smells like rotten eggs, for leak detection. The station also includes instrumentation to measure flow rates.

Cascade Natural Gas crews install gas mains in a new subdivision in South Kennewick

| Courtesy Cascade Natural Gas

An upgrade in the south Kennewick area has also been completed to boost low pressure that often occurs during cold weather events. This $3.6 million project also includes a new town border station and installation of new mains. In total, Cascade has invested $29.4 million in capital projects over the last five years in the Tri-Cities region.

Affordability remains top of mind for many consumers, and Cascade is aware of the need to keep costs down while maintaining safety and reliability.

The new South Kennewick gate station, part of the investments that Cascade Natural Gas has made in the Tri-Cities region.

| Courtesy Cascade Natural Gas

Rate reduction

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) recently approved our request to reduce the average monthly residential customer’s bill by $14.23, reflecting the lower commodity price for natural gas. The new rates took effect on Nov. 1, 2025.

If you are having difficulty paying your natural gas bill, Cascade Natural Gas and its Community Action Agency partners are available to help with solutions provided through the Cascade Arrearage Relief and Energy Savings (CARES) bill payment assistance program.

Working with customers and local agencies, we can help reduce customers’ energy burden, keep customers connected during difficult economic times and help customers access programs like the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Community support

Along with helping our customers pay their bills, we assist numerous nonprofits in the Tri-Cities. This year, our parent company’s charitable arm, the MDU Resources Foundation, contributed to Tri-Cities Chaplaincy in Richland, Columbia Ability Alliance in Kennewick and Columbia Basin College Foundation in Pasco.

These donations help support hospice care in Benton and Franklin counties. Additionally, it helps fund programs for individuals with disabilities and provides educational opportunities for college students. These donations are not made using ratepayer dollars.

Affordable and reliable infrastructure is essential to maintaining a robust energy system for the Tri-Cities, and so too is the need to comply with Washington’s Climate Commitment Act and reduce greenhouse gas pollution. To help meet methane emissions reduction targets, we continue to invest in a Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) program in the Tri-Cities. To learn more about Cascade’s RNG projects, go to: bit.ly/3K36HSc.  

As the Tri-Cities region grows and demand on energy systems increases, Cascade Natural Gas is well-positioned to energize lives for a better tomorrow.

Greg Watkins is central region director for Cascade Natural Gas Corporation.