Alert: Hearing on bill that would raise your energy bills, eliminate options on natural gas

Wednesday morning, Washington lawmakers will consider HB 1589, a bill that would have massive ramifications on our state’s energy prices and options.

Specifically, this bill would allow Puget Sound Energy (PSE) to bundle gas and electric rates. Here’s what that means for Washington families:

Major price increases on utility bills, potentially hikes as high as an additional $206 per month!

Incredibly, this bill gives PSE sole authority to choose when it’s not financially beneficial to provide natural gas services any longer, and then stop delivering it.

Earlier this month, PSE sent an alert to customers asking them to conserve energy during frigid temperatures. This bill would cause further strain on the grid and make situations like this more and more common.

This bill has already passed the House, but it’s not too late to take action. Here are two things you can do.

1. Contact your state senator. The Building Industry Association of Washington has created a handy webtool for this issue here with full talking points.

2. Submit written testimony to the committee hearing this bill. This takes just a minute, and committee members often consider the pro vs. con submissions when weighing their vote – tell them to vote NO. Testimony is accepted until 7 am, Wednesday, Jan. 31.

It’s crucial to act now. Please contact your senator and urge them to vote NO on HB 1589, whether with or without amendments. Let’s safeguard affordability, reliability, and accessibility in Washington’s energy landscape.