Post-election, the debate over natural gas access is far from over

Soundside

Election results are still coming in for Washington’s tightest races.

Most of the voter initiatives went down to defeat this year. But one -- Initiative 2066 -- is poised for success.

It targets natural gas regulations by rolling back pieces of a big law forcing Puget Sound Energy to explore electrification and likely knocking down new building codes that makes installing natural gas in new construction harder.
It’s passing by a slim margin: just over 3 percentage points.

But not so fast, because opponents of 2066 say they’re gearing up to take the issue of natural gas from the ballot to the courts. They plan to file a legal challenge over the constitutionality of the initiative.

Soundside was joined by guests from both the YES and NO on 2066 campaigns to hear their thoughts on the election results and where the initiative is headed next.

Guests:

• Molly Gallagher, Statewide Poverty Action Network, and Leah Missik, the acting Washington Director of the nonprofit Climate Solutions (No 2066)
• Jan Himebaugh, director of external affairs at the Building Industry Association of Washington (Yes 2066)

Related Links:

• KUOW - Will natural gas be turned off in Washington state? Voices for and against Initiative 2066
• Misleading methane gas initiative barely passes after days of “too close to call” - NO on 2066
• BIAW celebrates Initiative 2066 election results protecting natural gas choice - Building Industry Association of Washington

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