Port asks Moses Lake council for letters of support for energy planning and industrial cooperative

The Port of Moses Lake asked the city council for formal letters of support after presenting a prefeasibility study that outlines options for energy planning and shared industrial infrastructure in the Wheeler Corridor.

Dan Roach, executive director of the Port of Moses Lake, said the Port has been working with Grant County PUD and other partners as demand for large new electric service has grown. Roach said the PUD has provided a letter supporting grant pursuits and the Port sought the council's backing to pursue technical assistance and grant money.

Shannon Souza, the Port's project director, described the study as a high-level look at "a suite of potential solutions" that combine organizational and technological approaches to keep high-tech manufacturers in Moses Lake while protecting the PUD's obligations to its broader rate base. Souza said the report examined an industrial "energy park" model that shares infrastructure such as waste heat, virtual power-plant aggregation and fuel-sharing to reduce peak electricity needs.

"This prefeasibility investigation that we've just wrapped up was . . . looking at that," Souza said, describing three planning horizons (two years, five years and to 2041, when CETA compliance becomes a planning constraint).

Council members who spoke supported further work and agreed the city should provide a letter. Councilmember Victor said the project "incorporates new technology" and "includes all of the partners," and Councilmember Davis said the Port's outreach and early coordination were refreshing.

The Port emphasized it is not asking the council to back a particular demonstration project but to support pursuit of technical assistance and grant funding to study feasible demonstrations and the possible creation of an industrial infrastructure cooperative.

Next steps: the Port will collect council letters of support and continue feasibility work with the PUD and other partners.