Lakeside explores natural gas

At least one Lakeside resident has had it with his propane bills. Resident Jim Andler wants access to natural gas in Lakeside, and he says he's not alone.

"People are just tired of propane bills, including myself," Andler said. "Everyone I talk to seems to really welcome that (natural gas)."

That's because natural gas is currently about one-third the cost of propane, and is a more efficient heater, Andler said.

"That's a big savings," he said of the difference in cost.

NorthWestern Energy is open to considering running the existing natural gas pipe down to Lakeside from Juniper Lane near Somers, a distance of approximately six to eight miles. But, the company needs to gauge the level of interest, said Claudia Rapkoch, director of communications for NorthWestern's Montana operations.

"We're really trying to have some idea of the level of serious interest," Rapkoch said. "That way we can determine what we can do to move forward."

Whether it's 10 people, 100 people or 1,000 people interested in natural gas makes a big difference, she said. That number impacts the size of the pipe, the distance it will be extended and the effects on the rest of the system. Figuring out the level of interest is just the starting point, she said.

And someone, or the interested group, will have to front the bill for the line if Lakeside residents decide they want natural gas. The allocation of costs for this line fall under the Public Service Commission's line extension policy. In this policy, the cost of the line expansion falls on the "cost causer," or whomever is requesting the service, Rapkoch said. A large scale community effort in that case may be treated differently than a small group, she said.

While Rapkoch says there's no "magic number" of those interested, there's still a need to measure the interest in Lakeside.

That's where Andler comes in. He's working to circulate a petition among residents. If he can get the signatures and the interest, Northwestern Energy will host a town hall meeting in Lakeside to answer questions about what it would mean.

Anyone interested in getting involved or signing the petition can call Andler at 844-2004.