Natural gas debate to hit the ballot in November after collectors gather 500K signatures
More than 500,000 signatures were dropped off to the Washington Secretary of State’s office on Friday that would place a natural gas initiative on the November ballot.
I-2066 would do several things, but is mostly aimed at preventing a ban on natural gas and requiring utility companies and local governments to continue providing natural gas to Washington consumers. The initiative was in part introduced in response to House Bill 1589 that passed during the legislative session this year that puts mechanisms in place for utility companies to eventually transition away from natural gas.
The initiative is sponsored by the Building Industry Association of Washington as well as a host of other backers. Let’s Go Washington, which sponsored several other Republican-backed initiatives on the November ballot, also helped gather signatures for I-2066.
In a news release Friday, Let’s Go Washington founder and millionaire Brian Heywood criticized Democratic lawmakers who voted to pass House Bill 1589. No Republicans voted for the bill during the 2024 session, and some Democrats also voted against the proposal.
Heywood said he believes “people are tired of being gaslit and tired of Olympia imposing arbitrary regulations that make life more expensive and take away consumer choice.”
“Our message today is that people do not want Olympia to ban natural gas and legislators need to think twice, or maybe three times, before they pass harmful legislation that makes citizens pay the price,” Heywood said.
Others are not so sure.
Leah Missik, acting Washington director for Climate Solutions, a regional clean energy nonprofit, argued that I-2066 would raise energy costs for consumers and that the bill passed this session was “painstakingly” negotiated with Puget Sound Energy, low-income advocates and environmental advocates to move Washington towards its clean climate goals while mitigating costs for consumers.
“It’s really about folks who are trying to squeeze out profit at our expense and our health,” Missik said of the initiative. “And it’s really important that we transition to cleaner and healthier energy — we’re on a path to do so —and that we’re very thoughtful about it. And this initiative would repeal policies that would put us on that pathway in a very smart way.”
PSE has also already chimed in on the debate.
On its website, PSE said that there has been a lot of “misinformation” surrounding HB 1589 since its introduction and passage. The company notes that the bill does not ban natural gas, nor does it affect PSE’s obligation to continue to supply natural gas to customers.
“There is no rate increase associated with HB 1589,” the statement said. “It’s a planning bill, and there will be three years of rulemaking and work before we submit an integrated system plan to our regulators. That will only be a plan— it will not include a request to increase rates.”
Additionally, the bill does not force electrification, PSE said.
Friday’s dropoff was the second time this week supporters for the measure gathered at the Secretary of State’s Office.
On Tuesday, Greg Lane, executive vice president of BIAW, told reporters that even though PSE denied that the legislation is a ban on natural gas, he thinks it’s clear that they are eventually intending to put a ban on natural gas in the state.
“This is not just about Puget Sound Energy,” said Lane. “This is not just about (House Bill) 1589. This is about keeping natural gas as a choice for consumers moving forward.”
Lane also said the initiative does not prohibit people from going all electric if they want, it just makes sure that consumers can make their own decision. He argued that current regulations are unnecessarily burdensome for new construction, and said he believes the initiative would help keep home and natural gas costs lower for consumers.
Voters will have the opportunity to vote on the measure in the November general election.
