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Washington Burns, But not your Stove
July 12th, 2024
- Stay up to date on all things energy by visiting the TEA Newsroom.
- America’s Energy Security ARC: Affordable, Reliable, Clean energy independence.
- How Chevron’s fall could remake the energy sector.
- California advances a first-in-nation plan to set water budgets for cities statewide.
- Opinion: American natural gas is a win for climate, economy and security.
- Vying for West Virginia Governor, an ‘all of the Above’ Democrat against a GOP fossil fuel proponent.
- 150 Republicans say Biden should rescind the rule to make more trucks electric.
- Bipartisan carbon bill unveiled in the House.
- The effort to get neighborhoods off natural gas.
This week, we’ve got a double “common sense” feature!
The issue: The gas stoves issue heads to the ballot in Washington state. This time, however, it’s to protect the appliance.
Why it matters: More than 500,000 signatures were dropped off to the Washington Secretary of State’s office last Friday that would place a natural gas initiative on the November ballot. Organizers say this is about keeping natural gas as a viable option for consumers.
This comes after Gov. Jay Inslee signed a “decarbonization” bill in March that put the state on a path to phase out natural gas. The original version of the bill was even more radical, forcing the state into an outright ban on gas services or appliances in all new construction.
Consider:
- Initiative Measure No. 2066 would do several things, but is mostly aimed at preventing a ban on natural gas and requiring utility companies and local governments to continue providing natural gas to Washington consumers.
- The voter initiative was in part introduced in response to House Bill 1589 that passed during the legislative session this year that puts mechanisms in place for utility companies to eventually transition away from natural gas.
- Go Washington founder and millionaire Brian Heywood criticized Democratic lawmakers who voted to pass HB 1589. No Republicans voted for the bill during the 2024 session, and some Democrats also voted against the proposal.
Heywood said he believes “people are tired of being gaslit and tired of Olympia imposing arbitrary regulations that make life more expensive and take away consumer choice.”
TEA could not agree more on those points, as it aligns with our common sense energy agenda and our belief in limited government. It is encouraging and refreshing to see citizen activism in the name of natural gas.
Bottom line: Washington’s legislature is intent on phasing out natural gas, but the state’s residents are fighting to stop it at the ballot box. It’s encouraging to see a grassroots movement to protect the right to affordable, reliable, clean energy!
The issue: A federal judge reversed the Department of Energy’s freeze on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export approvals last week, handing a win to industry and red states that had challenged the Biden administration plan.
Why it matters: LNG exports could be a boon for climate and security, according to one former Energy Information Administration administrator.
“Environmental activists and TikTok influencers have worked overtime to paint LNG in an unfavorable light, glossing over the fact it actually favors President Biden’s climate agenda by reducing global emissions,” writes Guy Caruso.
Consider:
- As the Energy Department reported in 2017, natural gas and LNG have the power to contribute to a “lower carbon future.”
- Electricity generated from natural gas produces about half of the carbon emissions of electricity generated by coal.
- Europe relies on American LNG. Our imports have allowed the Europeans to keep the lights on in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while enabling the European Union to progress toward its ambitious climate goals.
As Caruso accurately points out, if the export moratorium persists, it threatens the long-term LNG supply from this deal for Ukraine and Eastern Europe. If it’s up to Biden, that means much of Eastern Europe would have to rely on Russia for natural gas once again. This benefits no one — including America — other than Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bottom line: The ruling to lift the LNG ban was objectively good. LNG exports bolster American energy security, support our allies, and are far better for the environment than foreign producers.
A lot has happened over the past couple weeks with July 4th holiday travel and a major hurricane making landfall in Texas, an area with numerous refineries. Despite these factors, prices for gasoline increased only 3 cents over the past week. The national average is currently $3.54, which is exactly the same as one year ago today.
Nothing on the calendar next week as Congress is in recess!
“We need to keep fighting to protect coal and our natural gas, and our fossil fuels we have, because if we don’t, West Virginia will suffer at a level you can’t possibly describe.”
— West Virginia AGl Patrick Morrisey, Republican candidate for governor.
