When it comes to our homes, most people want two basic things: affordable energy bills and a comfortable, safe temperature no matter the weather outside.
A misleading initiative on the ballot this fall could put both those things in jeopardy for countless Washington families — especially those living on low or fixed incomes.
Make no mistake, Initiative 2066, which would repeal efforts meant to hasten Puget Sound Energy’s transition away from natural gas, is a direct attack on working families in Washington — it would raise the upfront and long-term costs of new housing, gut energy-efficiency standards that keep energy bills low, take our state backward on clean energy and roll back popular programs that help homeowners and renters upgrade home appliances.
Who is behind this bad idea? Ultrawealthy special interests — including fossil fuel corporations like Koch Industries and hedge fund manager Brian Heywood — who spent over $2.4 million dollars to get I-2066 on the ballot while misleading the public about the initiative’s scope and consequences.
From our perspectives — a local builder specializing in energy efficiency and an advocate for economic justice and policies that support families living on low incomes — we see firsthand the tangible benefits of homes that are energy-efficient and affordable.
Initiative 2066 would put those benefits out of reach for thousands of Washington residents. It would repeal our commonsense energy code protections that ensure all new homes and buildings — including affordable housing — prioritize energy efficiency, which keep bills lower for future residents.
Initiative 2066 would jeopardize hundreds of millions of dollars in funding that help families and small businesses upgrade to ultraefficient heat pumps that help people stay warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and filter toxic wildfire smoke from the air while using less than one-third of the energy of the average gas furnace. It could prevent cities, towns, and counties from delivering funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act and the national Inflation Reduction Act for clean energy home upgrades.
By attacking local control, I-2066 would impose a “one size fits all” energy policy across the state and put decisions about our energy future in the hands of special interests and the fossil fuel industry instead of the local leaders who are best equipped to respond to the needs of their communities.
The language in I-2066 is so sweeping that it could have devastating impacts on all sorts of commonsense and popular programs and long-standing protections. It would kneecap the Clean Air Act by preventing the state from addressing outdoor air pollution from buildings — including industrial facilities. Its prohibition on building codes that “discourage” the use of natural gas could even be used to overturn local fire codes, which currently require additional safety measures in buildings containing gas appliances due to explosion risks.
I-2066 would also prohibit utilities and local governments from planning for the future in ways that protect residents from rising bills as energy use changes. For example, Puget Sound Energy reports that gas use was down 7% for its residential customers and 3% for commercial customers last year, as more and more people recognize the economic, efficiency and health benefits of modern electric equipment for heating and cooling. I-2066 would force utilities to spend on infrastructure at bill payers’ expense without taking these shifts into account.
The special interests backing this measure are lying to the public — state law already guarantees that anyone who wants natural gas can have it. I-2066 is just the latest part of a nationwide effort by fossil fuel corporations to delay the transition to clean energy. These groups have worked to undermine energy- efficiency efforts at the national level and spent millions of dollars on similar misleading initiatives in other states.
Washington voters know better than to fall for this — that’s why restaurant owners, homebuilders, labor unions, health care workers and environmental groups, and over 100 organizations and small businesses support voting “no” on I-2066. We can’t go backward during a time of rising costs and housing crisis. All of our neighbors should have clean, affordable energy. Vote “no” on I-2066 to protect energy efficiency and stop higher energy bills.
The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.