On Tuesday, Feb. 9, the five Republicans serving on the Washington State House Environment and Energy Committee spoke out against a bill that would prohibit the use of natural gas in newly-constructed homes and buildings, according to a news release.
When House Bill 1084 was brought up for a vote, Republican committee members Reps. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, Mark Klicker, R-Walla Walla, Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, and Keith Goehner, R-Dryden, laid out the damages the legislation would cause in their remarks.
According to the release, the original bill would prohibit the use for natural gas in new homes, including gas used for space heating, furnaces, water heaters, interior gas fireplaces and back deck grills; however, an amendment removed the grill prohibitions. Dye, who serves as ranking Republican on the committee, said the bill takes “major steps” to accelerate the removal of natural gas from homes and buildings and would “undermine” the continued economic viability of natural gas utilities.
“The sponsors recognize this bill, as introduced, would eliminate jobs. The original bill required regulators to put a ‘climate protection surcharge’ on gas bills. These funds would have been used to fund retraining programs for workers in the natural gas industry who would lose their jobs,” Dye said in a news release. “No one wants to be told the future for them is access to something called a ‘just transition fund’ to pay for retraining for a different job. The committee amendment took out this tax, but this bill still takes steps in that same direction by requiring ‘transition plans’ from natural gas utilities. This measure goes way too far when it signals that it wants an entire industry and its workers to be obsolete.”
Kickler said the bill would have a significant impact and people would lose their jobs.
“I believe this is an abuse of government power and it will hurt thousands of people in the natural gas industry, as well as upwards of a million Washingtonians who rely on this energy resource every day,” he said.
Abbarno noted that homebuilders, realtors and the trucking industry are among those who oppose the bill.
“This bill is the worst kind of trifecta — it takes away choice from consumers, it creates a financial burden for working families and small businesses, and it eliminates family-wage jobs,” Abbarno said. “At a time when we should be investing in our communities and the people who build them and make them better, this bill tells a trade worker, heavy machine operator, (or) pipefitter in my community that their job is not valuable, and they will be re-programmed and transitioned to another job.”
Rep. Matt Boehnke said the bill would have an adverse effect on Washington’s economy.
“House Bill 1084 would kill jobs at a time when we’re trying to rebuild our economy and get Washingtonians back on their feet,” he said. “Prohibiting the use of natural gas in homes and buildings would have devastating consequences not just for workers, but also for the one million natural gas customers in Washington who would see a $700 increase in their annual energy bill. House Bill 1084 is costly, not just for employers and employees, but for families who are struggling every month to make ends meet.”
The measure passed the committee on a party-line vote, 8-5, with all Republicans voting no.
