Remember the cold snap during the winter of 2024? How can anyone forget it, right?

During that time, a winter storm created unprecedented stress on the energy infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest.

The record demand highlighted a critical reality: the integrated gas and electric systems operate at their limits during extreme weather.

Fortunately, a total grid failure was avoided with the January storm. Some parts of the region were still in dire straits though, with power outages that lasted not hours, but days, or even weeks.

However, thanks to the availability of natural gas storage and pipelines, which fueled electric generating plants as well as crucial support from the region’s hydropower system and imported electricity from the Southwest and Rocky Mountain states, many areas in the Pacific Northwest were able to have power.

But luck is never guaranteed. And if decarbonization efforts neglect the essential role of a diverse energy mix that includes affordable and reliable natural gas, next time, the Pacific Northwest might not be as fortunate.

As Roger Gray, CEO and President of PNGC Power, and Camillo Amezquita, Vice President, and General Manager of the Williams-Northwest Pipeline, wrote in an op-ed that appeared in the Oregonian, among other publications:

“There is no margin for error, no room to accommodate the unexpected. We cannot underestimate the critical importance of robust energy diversity – and the infrastructure needed to meet the demands being placed on it.”

It’s providential to have two robust energy infrastructures in Washington and Oregon: the electric grid and the natural gas system. Together, these systems provide safe, dependable, and affordable energy to millions of homes, businesses, schools, and governments in the region. Achieving ambitious decarbonization goals necessitates the harmonious operation of both systems.

As the electric grid undergoes a major transformation in an effort to reduce carbon emissions, how the energy is generated is shifting from coal-fired generation to renewable sources like solar and wind. During this transition, hydropower and imported electricity are relied upon to keep the lights on in the region. Nonetheless, generation and infrastructure from natural gas remains indispensable to moving the energy.

Data show that during the coldest times of the year, the natural gas system delivers more than double the energy to homes and businesses in the region compared to the electric grid – and that’s excluding the gas used for electricity generation. As new policies put in place by government officials promote electrification, converting natural gas heating loads to electric heating could jeopardize the reliability and affordability of the regional energy system.

Experts have raised concerns about the grid’s capacity to meet existing demands, even before those new policy-driven loads emerge. Expanding and modernizing natural gas pipelines, storage capacities, and distribution networks are crucial to strengthen and support the energy system against increased demand during extreme weather events. Similarly, enhancing electric transmission, storage assets, and distribution networks is essential.

The current energy system is poised for expansion to support economic growth, including new industries that increase electrical demand and population density in certain regions. However, this growth depends on the support of policymakers and more importantly, the residents of Washington and Oregon.

“The path forward requires acknowledging the indispensable role and capabilities of the natural gas system in our energy mix,” Gray and Amezquita wrote. “By investing in the expansion and modernization of natural gas facilities and the electric grid, we can safeguard our energy supply and move confidently toward an affordable clean energy future.”

Click here to read The Oregonian op-ed (subscription required)