In the past 24 hours, King County Council and the city of Redmond voted to endorse a No vote on Initiative 2066. These local governments join Bellingham, Olympia, Sammamish, Vancouver and Kirkland in opposing the harmful initiative in recent weeks amid concerns about impacts to local control of energy policy and low income energy efficiency programs.
In endorsing the vote to oppose I-2066, Olympia Mayor Pro Tem Yến Huỳnh spoke out about the rampant misinformation circulating about the initiative — particularly the claim from the Yes campaign that the initiative is needed because people are being denied “energy choice” to access natural gas.
“I actually feel like (I-2066) limits choice just by merely prohibiting our city from being able to offer any sorts of discounts or anything in the way of incentives to switch … which would again get to our carbon, our climate goals, and also have a healthier community,” Huỳnh said.
In a press release, the City of Redmond noted, “Redmond programs such as the Energy Smart Eastside heat pump program, the Green Building Program, and other Environmental Sustainability Action Plan efforts that encourage and incentivize electrification and provide equitable retrofit options may not be permitted under the new initiative.”
The No on 2066 campaign has been endorsed by a growing coalition of over 186 civic groups ranging from labor unions, affordable housing providers, home builders, and environmental organizations, including the Statewide Poverty Action Network, American Federation of Teachers Washington, SEIU 925, and King County Medical Society.