Washington state faces new hurdles to cutting pollution from one of its highest-emitting sectors after voters approved new legal protections for natural gas.
Initiative 2066 blocks local and state governments from banning gas in buildings. It also targets a new state law that encouraged utilities to plan for a transition away from gas. The measure will require both state regulators and utilities to approve gas service anywhere that customers reasonably request it.
The initiative also rolls back Washington’s recent building code updates, which encouraged builders to install electric appliances such as heat pumps via a credit system. Now, Initiative 2066 blocks the state building code from discouraging “in any way” the use of gas.
Unofficial results showed the initiative receiving about 52 percent of the vote, leading The Seattle Times and NBC affiliate KING 5 to call the election. Opponents of the measure have conceded defeat but promised legal challenges.
