Voters in Washington state appeared Tuesday to narrowly approve a ballot measure that will protect access to natural gas in the near future.
Proponents of the measure declared victory on Tuesday, but the count remained tight, with provisional and other ballots yet to be counted, according to The Columbian newspaper.
As of Tuesday morning, the Washington secretary of state’s tally showed just under 1.8 million “yea” votes and 1.68 million “nay” votes, or approximately 52-48%.
The measure would prohibit state regulators from approving plans that encourage Washingtonians to end their natural gas service and mandate that utilities supply the energy source to those who ask for it, according to The Seattle Times.
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“The people find that having access to natural gas enhances the safety, welfare, and standard-of-living of all people in Washington,” the ballot measure stated. “The people further find that preserving Washington’s gas infrastructure and systems will promote energy choice, security, independence, and resilience throughout the state.
“Natural gas is a convenient and important necessity because it: Serves as a backup source of energy during emergencies; provides consumers with more options for heating, sanitation, cooking and food preparation, and other household activities, helping to control their costs; and sustains essential businesses, such as restaurants.”
The measure also curtails future natural gas bans in the Evergreen State.
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Proponents of the measure wrote that public and corporate policies have affected residents’ ability to make their own decisions about which energy source they choose to use.
Outgoing Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill earlier this year that would push utilities away from natural gas. Some reports said the measure was a response to that legislation.
Inslee and his successor, Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson, were lambasted by a top proponent of the ballot measure who accused Inslee of suggesting he would pursue litigation if it passed.
Brian Heywood called Inslee a “pompous turd” during an interview on KIRO radio after Inslee said there is a “very good chance the court will find [the measure] was defective” and that its text “did not adequately describe what it really was.”
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The Biden administration seriously considered banning natural gas-powered stoves before it received widespread criticism for considering such a move, according to an internal memo obtained by Fox News Digital in 2023.
In the memo dated Oct. 25, 2022, Richard Trumka Jr., whom President Biden appointed to serve on the Consumer Product Safety Commission, wrote to a fellow commissioner that there was sufficient evidence for the agency to move forward with a “notice of proposed rulemaking” to ban gas stoves.
The ballot measure’s passage in a blue state runs counter to the machinations of the Biden administration, which has sought to stringently regulate natural gas and other power sources viewed as insufficiently green.
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