Washington voters to decide on initiative that would prohibit restrictions on natural gas access

The Washington Secretary of State’s office certified that sponsors of Washington Initiative 2066 submitted the required 324,516 valid signatures for the initiative to appear on the Nov. 5 ballot.

What would the initiative do?

The initiative seeks to repeal changes made to state law by House Bill 1589, passed by the state legislature in March 2024. The bill requires utilities to develop a scenario plan demonstrating the costs of electrification to submit to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) in 2027 as the UTC creates plans for regulations on electric and natural gas consumption consistent with the state’s greenhouse gas emissions goals.

This initiative would prohibit state and local governments from restricting access to natural gas and would prohibit the state building code council from prohibiting, discouraging, or penalizing the use of natural gas in any building.

The initiative would require gas companies and utility companies, or any cities or towns that provide natural gas, to provide natural gas to any person or corporation even if other energy services or energy sources may be available.

Under the initiative, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission would be prohibited from approving any multiyear rate plan requiring or incentivizing a natural gas company or utility company to terminate natural gas service or implementing requirements that would make access to natural gas service cost-prohibitive.

The initiative would remove a current provision in state law requiring the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission to assess alternatives to current and planned gas infrastructure projects and achieve all cost-effective electrification of end uses currently served by natural gas.

What are supporters and opponents saying about this initiative?

The initiative was proposed by the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW). Executive Vice President Greg Lane is the primary sponsor of the initiative. Lane said, “It is very simple. If you have natural gas, this protects you to be able to keep natural gas in your home or in your business. And it protects the freedom of every single Washingtonian to have the clean energy of their choice.”

Other supporters of the initiative include the Washington Hospitality Association, Washington Realtors, and Associated General Contractors.

Let’s Go Washington, a conservative group that collected signatures for three initiatives already on the November ballot, also supported the signature-gathering effort for this initiative.

Caitlin Krenn, climate and clean energy director for Washington Conservation Action, said, “I-2066 would take away communities’ choice, jeopardize rebate programs that help families and small business owners afford building upgrades, repeal common-sense measures that make homes and workplaces more energy efficient and healthy, and erode clean air protections.”

Puget Sound Energy, the state’s largest utility with more than 1.2 million electric customers and 900,000 natural gas customers, said it is “deeply concerned about the misinformation that continues to be spread about natural gas,” and that “There is no ban on natural gas. PSE has an obligation to serve any customer who wants natural gas.”

Have other states enacted restrictions on natural gas?

In 2023, New York became the first state to enact a bill restricting natural gas. The bill required new buildings to be constructed with only electric hookups for appliances and utilities beginning in 2025. For buildings with less than seven stories, the requirement was set to be effective in 2026, and effective in 2029 for taller buildings.

What other initiatives are on the Washington ballot?

The initiative will join three other initiatives sponsored by Let’s Go Washington:

Initiative 2109 would repeal the capital gains excise tax on individuals’ long-term capital assets with capital gains over $250,000.

Initiative 2117 would prohibit carbon tax credit trading and repeal provisions of the 2021 Washington Climate Commitment Act (CCA), a state law that provided for a cap-and-invest program intended to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 95% by 2050.

Initiative 2124 would allow employees and self-employed individuals to opt out of WA Cares, the state’s long-term services and supports trust health care program.