This week, the City of Kirkland passed a resolution opposing Initiative 2066 (see video starting at around 03:16), following the City of Vancouver’s resolution on Monday. These cities join the swiftly growing opposition to I-2066 after the official “No” coalition launched last week.
During the deliberation, Kirkland Councilmembers commented about the significant impacts that the initiative would have on local decision making, and how it would undermine their plans for housing, climate action and sustainability.
“To take away local control and the ability of local government to be responsive to their residents is inappropriate in this context,” said Kirkland Councilmember Neil Black.
I-2066 is a misleading and harmful ballot initiative backed by fossil fuel corporations and powerful special interests in an effort to eliminate key affordability and energy efficiency policy at the state and local level, and experts have raised serious concerns about the potential impacts that the initiative would have on energy bills.
The energy efficiency programs and standards that the initiative would jeopardize have saved Washingtonians thousands of dollars on their energy bills and reduce stress on the electric grid during extreme weather. Initiative 2066 would also gut standards that ensure new buildings are being built so they don’t waste energy. This would mean higher monthly energy bills for future renters and homeowners.
Initiative 2066 is part of a contentious block of four initiatives funded by multimillionaire Brian Heywood, which are trying to undo the State’s progress on issues from health care to addressing the effects of pollution on our communities and the environment.
Beyond just increasing energy costs, impacting energy efficiency policy and undermining local control, I-2066 would roll back our state’s efforts to reduce climate and air pollution and keep us dependent on dirty fossil fuels for decades to come. In fact, I-2066 repeals a section of law that states standards for new buildings must “help achieve the broader goal of building zero fossil-fuel greenhouse gas emission homes and buildings.”
After Vancouver and Kirkland’s votes this week, It’s likely that other cities will be following suit in the coming weeks as word spreads about the I-2066’s impacts to low income energy efficiency programs, energy prices and local control of energy policy.
The No on 2066 campaign has also been endorsed by more than 90 public interest groups across the state, including affordable housing advocates, health care experts, unions and small businesses from across the state, including the Statewide Poverty Action Network, American Federation of Teachers Washington, SEIU 925, and King County Medical Society. The initiative is funded by powerful interest groups including fossil fuel corporations that want to increase their profits while Washington families pay higher energy bills and increasingly experience the impacts of the climate crisis. You can learn more about the No on 2066 Campaign here.