Op-Ed: Promoting energy choice by protecting access to natural gas for homes and businesses

This November, Washington voters will decide if consumer energy choices deserve protection. Over the course of the last year, Washington state bureaucrats and elected officials have followed the climate posturing of high-cost energy states, by banning natural gas in future builds and pushing for grid electrification for existing natural gas users. Washington Initiative 2066 is the response to this government-created restriction on consumer energy choices, reversing the natural gas bans and prohibiting any and all future energy restrictions.

There are currently only seven states plus Washington, D.C. with jurisdictions restricting natural gas use in new construction. Washington state is one of these regions with restrictions on natural gas. On the other hand, over half of the states in the country have placed preemptive measures in place prohibiting any natural gas bans by local or state jurisdictions. Regional neighbors of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming have all voted to prohibit these local bans on natural gas.

On Sept. 15, 2023, Washington’s State Building Code Council (SBCC) adopted new natural gas restrictions which ignored federal law and restricted consumer energy choices. The code removed the mandate for heat pump adoption but created credit incentives that would be so cost-prohibitive to natural gas it would deter its usage in new homes. The SBCC voted to delay the code implementation until after the following session.

Washington Policy Center (WPC) has actively participated in the critique of these codes and their failure to follow the regulatory codes, which call for economic impact reports to small businesses. WPC has petitioned both the SBCC council and the governor to ensure the economic impact of the new codes is addressed. The requests were denied.

The trouble continued during the latest 2024 session, when the Washington legislature passed House Bill 1589. Lt. Gov. Denny Heck said of the draft form of the house bill submitted to the Senate, “There is no other way of saying this clearly, the president is troubled by this legislation. The drafting and construction of this bill is very simply a hot mess.” The bill unconstitutionally avoided identifying what existing legislation would be affected if enacted, essentially a blank check of regulatory oversight and energy limitations on consumers.

The bill was partially revised but remained very ambiguous on many details.

The ballot summary for Initiative Measure No. 2066 says: “This measure would require utilities and local governments to provide natural gas to eligible customers, prevent state approval of rate plans requiring or incentivizing gas service termination, restricting access to gas service, or making it cost-prohibitive; and prohibit the state energy code, localities, and air pollution control agencies from penalizing gas use. It would repeal sections of chapter 351, Laws of 2024, including planning requirements for cost-effective electrification and prohibitions on gas rebates and incentives.”

Even if Washington state moves forward on limiting natural gas bans on the consumers, the state’s reliance on natural gas electricity is likely to remain the same for some time. Currently, Washington is one of the lowest consumers of natural gas-fired electricity, but banning natural gas use at the consumer level will not alter the state’s energy profile.

Washington has already diversified its electricity grid with one of the highest rates of renewable power in the country. The state is unlikely to fully wean off of natural gas-fired electricity nor should it from a diversification and reliability standpoint. However, the state’s recent rules and legislation limit consumer choices, while still permitting choice for electrical providers, based on cost, supply, and weather.

Natural gas bans argue electrification is justified because of efficiency gains. Anyone who has used a gas oven can attest through simple qualitative experience that the gas oven is more efficient. It is assumed in the restaurant business that there is a 40% loss in productivity if using an electric stove. Even the California Energy Commission argues that a gas stove will cost less to operate and take less energy to produce and deliver heat to your stove.

Ability to pay is always a better determinant of adoption over efficiency gains and environmental impact. Leaving consumers free to make their energy choices, allows them to judge what will be most affordable in the long run.

Consumers know the most about what they like, need, and can afford. Climate ideologies turned government regulations interfere with consumer preferences, causing economic and physical harm to consumers, while rarely meeting any climate-centered goal. Natural gas bans often disguised as ‘grid electrification’ are policy directives with imagined benefits and real-world harm.

Limiting energy options endangers the financial well-being of consumers and prioritizes government grandstanding over individual liberty. Natural gas bans are not good policy and should be prohibited because market drivers will encourage consumers to adopt greener and more economical energy choices while leaving them free to choose the energy that fits their needs, budgets, and priorities best.

Madi Clark is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Mountain States Policy Center, an independent research organization based in Idaho, Montana, Eastern Washington and Wyoming. Online at mountainstatespolicy.org.