TC Energy, a natural gas supplier, says it needs to upgrade a pipeline that runs through Central Oregon to supply gas to energy-hungry communities along the West Coast.

350Deschutes, an environmental nonprofit based in Bend, says local communities shouldn’t pay for the upgrades and argues that the project is a threat to the environment and public safety.

For nearly two years, the nonprofit has tried to rally the public against the pipeline upgrade, declaring it a hazard to communities on Bend’s east side. It now says Cascade Natural Gas customers could face rate increases as a means to finance the project.

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Expansion of natural gas pipeline near Bend sparks local opposition

Contract negotiations

Nora Harren, campaign and education coordinator for 350Deschutes, is urging Cascade Natural Gas to stop contract negotiations with TC Energy over its development of the GTN Xpress pipeline expansion. She said the pipeline upgrades and its associated costs should not be passed onto natural gas customers in Bend.

“If Cascade Natural Gas does not pass this cost along to ratepayers, the pipeline may not be financially viable, despite its approval from the (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) in October,” said Harren.

More than 300 people have signed a petition on the 350Deschutes website calling for Cascade Natural Gas to end its contract with TC Energy to purchase natural gas from the project’s expansion.

Cascade Natural Gas said in its published reports that it expects system load growth to average 1.1% per year over the next three decades. Byron Pfordte, a spokesperson for Cascade Natural Gas, said the company’s modeling shows the need for the system upgrades on the TC Energy pipeline.

Pfordte said it’s not clear yet if ratepayers will pay more.

“The GTN Xpress expansion aims to balance increased delivery capacity with the expected benefit of accessing lower-cost natural gas,” he said. “The impact on customer bills will depend on this trade-off.”

Audrey Leonard, staff attorney at Columbia River Keeper, an environmental nonprofit, said Cascade Natural Gas is one of several gas buyers that can use leverage to block the upgrade to lower costs and improve safety.

“TC Energy has a bad safety record,” said Leonard. “The GTN pipeline should not be handling more gas.”

Pipeline ruptures

Infrastructure breakdowns connected to TC Energy include a ruptured pipeline in April that sparked a wildfire in Alberta, Canada. In 2023, an explosion occurred on a TC Energy pipeline in Virginia. Leaks and spills have also occurred on TC Energy’s Keystone Pipeline System.

Even as environmental groups work to derail the GTN XPress pipeline project, Calgary, Alberta-based TC Energy has made slow but steady progress in making the $75.1 million project a reality.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the project in October. More recently, the commission approved TC Energy’s request to put into service horsepower upgrades at three compressor stations along the pipeline’s 1,377-mile route. The compressor station upgrades are expected to occur this summer, according to the TC Energy website.

The company said the upgrades are needed to make deliveries in Washington, Oregon and California. The pipeline skirts along Bend’s east side underground close to Knott Landfill and the future Steven’s Ranch development.

TC Energy said demand for its natural gas has risen by 50% over the past 10 years. Tina Faraca, TC Energy executive vice president and president, U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines, said in a statement that the upgrades will improve reliability of natural gas deliveries and help to lower costs for consumers.

Opposition and support

Opponents say the increased use of gas goes against decarbonization goals and will accelerate climate change. Some are also concerned that increasing gas capacity could lead to a pipeline rupture or explosion. Harren warned that putting more gas in the aging pipeline presents a danger to High Desert Middle School, Knott Landfill, and the future Stevens Ranch development.

In January a coalition of environmental activist organizations called on the Biden administration to intervene in the approval process.

The project has received a strong rebuke from several state and federal elected officials, including Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, all Democrats. Republican U.S. representatives supported the project, including Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, District 5, and Cliff Bentz, District 2.

TC Energy argues that the pipeline upgrade passed all hoops put in place by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and that the Environmental Protection Agency offered input on the agency’s environmental impact statement.

The pipeline was completed in 1961 and moves 2.7 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas.