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Williams seeks approval for Idaho gas line as broader Northwest expansion looms
Williams has begun seeking federal approval for an 88-mile pipeline that could deliver up to 275 million cubic feet of gas a day to the Northwest. The project is one piece of a proposed expansion that environmental advocates say could deepen reliance on fossil fuels as data centers drive electricity demand.
Williams, the Oklahoma-based owner of the 4,000-mile Northwest Pipeline system, has filed initial paperwork with federal regulators for an 88-mile gas line connecting existing transmission pipelines in Idaho and Nevada.
The proposed Silver Spur line could carry as much as 275 million cubic feet of natural gas per day to the Northwest. Williams says it plans to complete the project in 2030. The company has not identified the main customers for the additional gas, and did not respond to questions about potential buyers.
The proposal comes as Oregon and Washington pursue policies to reduce fossil fuel use and climate pollution. Environmental advocates argue that utilities’ rising electricity needs are being driven largely by data centers, and question whether new gas infrastructure is necessary to meet regional demand.
Columbia Riverkeeper, a Hood River-based environmental nonprofit, has raised concerns with state officials. Earlier this year, it led 20 organizations in urging Oregon and Washington leaders to oppose fossil fuel expansion. Analyses by Columbia Riverkeeper and Seattle-based Sightline Institute have found that utilities are investing in gas-fired infrastructure or purchasing gas-generated electricity from other states to meet demand they associate predominantly with data centers.
Data centers account for nearly one-quarter of Oregon’s electricity consumption, according to a recent analysis by ECOnorthwest.
The Silver Spur project is part of a larger Williams proposal called the Rockies Columbia Connector system. The company has also outlined a nearly 160-mile expansion along the Washington side of the Columbia River and a 137-mile Valley Trail pipeline in Grant County, including the Quincy area, a major data center hub. Williams has not yet filed permit applications for those two projects.
Taken together, the planned expansions could add nearly 1 billion cubic feet of gas capacity per day to the region. Williams executives described the projects in a March earnings call as part of one of the largest pipeline expansions in the Northwest in more than two decades.
The Silver Spur application will be reviewed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other federal agencies. The process is expected to include public meetings and opportunities to comment.
The proposed line would add substantially more capacity than the 150 million cubic feet per day approved in 2023 for TC Energy’s Gas Transmission Northwest Express pipeline. That project drew opposition from regional Democratic leaders, including Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and then-Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.