Cascade Natural Gas is proud to serve as a part of Washington’s diversified energy portfolio. We believe pipeline energy, paired with robust energy efficiency efforts and continued innovation, is critical to maintaining grid reliability while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Cascade provides a robust portfolio of energy efficiency incentives to core residential and commercial natural gas customers. We are revenue decoupled, meaning our profits are separated from how much natural gas is used by customers. This allows us to aggressively pursue energy efficiency on behalf of our customers.
We believe in the capacity of natural gas utilities like Cascade to adapt to our communities’ rapidly evolving energy priorities. Just as wind and solar have become more affordable over time, so too will renewable natural gas and hydrogen. We look forward to exploring and adapting these and other technologies.
Additional information about the role of natural gas as part of a decarbonized future can be found in the FAQ below.
Natural gas is composed of four hydrogen atoms and one carbon atom (CH4). When it burns, natural gas produces mostly carbon dioxide, water vapor and small amounts of nitrogen oxides.
Much of the natural gas we find and use today began as microscopic plants and animals millions of years ago. However, renewable natural gas (RNG) can also be produced by capturing methane in biogas produced by dairies, landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and other organic waste management operations that would otherwise go into the atmosphere. This biogas is converted to biomethane, a usable pipeline gas known as RNG that can supplement traditional geologic natural gas.
Cascade is a local distribution company that transports natural gas to over 222,000 customers in 67 communities across Washington.
Cascade provides our customers with domestically sourced natural gas from three areas of North America: British Columbia, Alberta, and the Rockies. The plentiful supply of natural gas in North America makes Washington, and our nation, less dependent on foreign energy imports, which compromise our energy independence and security.
Cascade Natural Gas is also proud to be actively exploring and implementing viable Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) opportunities. These projects are part of our company’s efforts to help support our communities’ carbon reduction priorities. Today, Cascade Natural Gas has RNG projects under contract that will put more than 1 million MMBtu/year into the company’s system. These RNG projects will displace the equivalent of 17,120 residential customers’ annual natural gas usage based on average customer consumption. We anticipate the amount of RNG added to our system will continue to grow as additional projects are identified.
Cascade delivers natural gas through a highly engineered pipeline system in a safe, environmentally sound process. Cascade uses the latest technology, security, and industry practices to monitor pipelines, and maintain service and safety. We execute many programs to ensure your safety: 24/7 design and construction monitoring; integrity management; inspection and patrol; public safety outreach; and communication/training with emergency officials.
We are also proud partners with 811 Call Before You Dig.
More information on our Safety Efforts can be found on our website.
While natural gas is safe for use in homes and buildings, health and safety risks can be mitigated through proper maintenance and operation of gas-fired appliances. Cascade recommends installing carbon monoxide detectors in buildings with gas equipment, and an exhaust for all electric and natural gas ranges, cooktops and ovens to eliminate the normal byproducts of cooking such as steam, smoke, grease and heat. Additional safety tips associated with the use of natural gas in homes and buildings can be found here.
Natural gas is essential to maintaining energy reliability as electric utilities add intermittent renewable resources like wind and solar that depend on the time-of-day and weather conditions. Natural gas allows more renewable energy to come onto the grid without risk of brown-outs.
As more renewable energy is placed onto the system, the direct use of natural gas provides reliable space and water heat, cooking, and other end-uses, taking pressure off the electric grid to provide energy for these essential needs. Natural gas also serves as an important back-up fuel in the event of a no-power situation.
Finally, certain electric technologies, like air-source heat pumps, have reduced capacity to operate effectively in cold climates and under cold weather conditions. Gas/electric hybrid systems can operate a heat pump when it is most efficient to do so, and uses natural gas backup heating when the weather gets too cold for the electric heat pump to operate efficiently. Natural gas heat pump technology is also evolving to meet the need for highly efficient cold climate heating and cooling. Cascade is proud to serve on the board of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) which is making progress in the market-development of this technology in our region.
Cascade operates 8,067 miles of natural gas pipeline in Washington, including mains, services, and transmission facilities. This essential infrastructure supports energy reliability and resiliency— and can be used to transport a wide range of gaseous fuels, including low-and no carbon fuels like renewable natural gas and hydrogen. The gas industry’s experience laying pipe can also support the delivery of non-combustion energy such as networked thermal energy, which can be used for district energy systems and ground-source heat pumps.
The natural gas industry, and the industries dependent on it, play an essential role in Washington’s economy.
Natural gas provides skilled careers for pipefitters, and chemical workers, as well as HVAC and water heating contractors. It is also essential to the manufacturing of a wide variety of health, domestic infrastructure, and energy efficiency products— including pharmaceuticals, plastics, steel, and synthetic fabrics.
In Cascade’s service area, Washington farmers rely on fertilizers made with natural gas. They also depend on natural gas for its affordability and reliability for heating even during a power outage.
Currently, there is no statewide ban on the use of natural gas in residential construction or commercial processes such as manufacturing.
The 2021 Washington State Energy code took effect March 15, 2024. These new codes place significant limits on the use of natural gas in new construction. The code is currently under legal challenge.
Additionally, some local municipalities in Washington have passed local ordinances to ban natural gas space and water heating in new commercial construction. In Cascade’s service area, the City of Bellingham passed an ordinance prohibiting the use of natural gas space and water heating in new commercial construction and 4-story and higher multifamily buildings effective August 7, 2022.
Natural gas utilities in the Northwest are committed to continuous improvement.
Cascade is a founding partner of the EPA’s Natural Gas Star Methane Challenge Program which supports comprehensive actions to reduce methane emissions. We’ve engaged with this initiative since March 2016.
We are also actively exploring a range of technologies to benefit our customers which we have begun to integrate as part of our resource planning process. Such technologies include renewable natural gas, hydrogen, and networked thermal energy.
More about the company’s Environmental Priorities can be found on our website.
Cascade continues to support policies that encourage innovation in the energy sector while maintaining safe, affordable, and reliable energy options. This support includes laws that further empower decarbonization in collaboration with the natural gas sector, such as the Clean Buildings Act and the Thermal Energy Networks (TENS) law.
Absolutely. Cascade has been a long-standing champion of energy efficiency. The company provides robust energy efficiency programs, offering rebates to residential, as well as commercial, and core industrial customers.
Since 2008, our energy efficiency and conservation programs have resulted in incremental reductions of about 4,000 to 5,000 metric tons of CO2 each year. That’s the equivalent of between 10,000 and 12,500 miles driven by an average passenger vehicle, or the equivalent of 602 homes’ energy use for one year.
More information on our energy efficiency programs can be found on our website.
Cascade is revenue decoupled, meaning that our profits are separated from how much gas is used by ratepayers. This means we aggressively pursue energy efficiency on behalf of our customers.
Yes. Cascade is pleased to offer grant opportunities to the communities it serves through its Environmental Community Opportunity (ECO) Fund.
The ECO Fund supports projects that enhance environmental education and stewardship in the communities we serve. Environmental education projects may include grants for teacher training, books, or equipment for classroom use, field trips, or special project support of the natural or physical sciences. Details can be found in the ECO Fund Brochure.