YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A feasibility study will determine the potential of an oil and gas pipeline along the Lake to River corridor, how it would benefit the region and the associated costs.
Eastgate Regional Council of Governments posted a request for proposals for a Lake to River: Oil & Gas Pipeline Feasibility Study. Sept. 24 is the submission deadline.
The consultant selected will develop both an economic and a technical assessment as part of the study.
“It’s really an economic analysis to decide if it’s worthy of investing more money,” said Jim Kinnick, Eastgate executive director. “We hear that there’s untapped gas in southern Ohio, and they can’t move it. And if we can have the ability to get that gas out and up to the deep water ports, it could be an economic boom for this region.”
The study will focus on the Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull county region between Lake Erie and the Ohio River, along the state Routes 11/7 corridor. The consultant selected for the study will evaluate the feasibility of building a pipeline across those counties and produce an economic analysis to show if it’s worth the investment.
The goal of the study, according to the request for proposals, is to “build the business case to support private investment in the pipeline, establish its technical feasibility, and identify the conceptual framework of a public-private partnership to implement the project.”
A selection committee of regional stakeholders will review the proposals and pick the consultant.
Sarah Boyarko, vice president of economic development at Lake to River Economic Development, said there are areas in Ashtabula and Trumbull counties that lack sufficient natural gas service. Some areas don’t have it at all.
When trying to develop a region by attracting new companies and enabling existing ones to grow, the first step is available property, she explained. That means acreage, highway access, utilities and a variety of requirements a company might have.
“So in this case, we’re actively creating efforts and/or a strategy to develop the Route 11 corridor,” Boyarko said.
And much of Route 11 is largely underused, she said.
“There’s a lot of land. There’s a lot of opportunity that we believe could result in additional private investment along Route 11, with proximity to the highway, or nearby, which ultimately will positively impact all of the communities along that 11 corridor with new development” as well as new jobs, investment by private companies and potential population increase and retention, the Lake to River vice president said.
Eastgate was awarded $250,000 in the state’s 2026-27 operating budget for the study. The agency is adding $50,000 from its General Motors Community Investment Funds, bringing the total to $300,000.
“We think that’s the number we need to attract the qualified experts that we’re looking for to review this,” Kinnick said.
And Boyarko credits Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration for its support.
“I think it speaks volumes to the current administration’s willingness to support the region’s needs,” she said.
The Lake to River Caucus, which includes both democrat and republican state legislators, worked with Eastgate and Lake to River to secure funding in the state budget.
The idea for such a pipeline study has been talked about for years, but supporters weren’t able to secure funding until now, Boyarko added.
“I feel like it’s the right time and everyone realized that, and that is why it’s happening,” she said.
After a consultant is selected, the plan is for the study to be completed by June. If the study determines building the pipeline is feasible and worth the investment, its construction would be a long-term project.
“I’ve heard of this initiative since my first years at Eastgate, and we finally were able to secure some funding to take a deeper dive,” Kinnick said.
Boyarko said the study will include identifying the properties, their respective amenities and gaps and how to fill them. It would also identify what other utilities would be required to make the area appealing to investment.
“The study will hopefully have a positive outcome that says that it is actually feasible” and lay out the costs associated with it. “So it’ll tell us everything we need to know. Then we have to figure out how we go about taking those next steps.”
Eastgate and Lake to River also plan to hire a contract employee to manage the project as it develops with the selected consultant. Kinnick expects that individual to start in early November.
He envisions that if the project is determined to be feasible, it will be a public-private partnership.
“The industry would work with the government agencies to make this happen …,” he said.
Boyarko said Lake to River is ecstatic to work with Eastgate on the project.
“I just think that this is a game-changing opportunity for our market,” she said. “We’re very pleased as to where things have gone so far and look forward to what is, hopefully, a positive outcome of the study. And we are eager to get to work on next steps.”