Kerri Longergan-Dreke

“The ban on natural gas will put us out of business. 150 employees would lose their jobs.

We have three Lombardi’s Italian restaurants, and another fine dining restaurant in the greater Seattle area.

Almost all of our equipment and heating is natural gas.

How would we overnight transition to all electrical appliances, even if those appliances existed? We’re talking 100,000 plus dollars, easy, maybe more, especially for replacing our heating units to make this transition. I mean, that’s not going to happen. We’re not in a place to be able to afford that. 

Not to mention the cost to operate natural gas equipment is much more efficient than electrical. So it’s going to raise the cost of cooking, which, that’s our business, right? Our natural gas bills have already gone up in the last year by about 20 to 25%. So if suddenly, we had to start using electricity for all of our cooking and heating, I mean, that would probably be a 50% increase. 

So no, our businesses could not afford this. And I don’t know any restaurant that can afford this either. 

And for homeowners, it’s going to be devastating as well.

It’s just unfathomable, frankly, that legislators proposed and passed this reckless and irresponsible bill. 

I don’t understand what bubble they’re living in that they think hundreds of thousands of people are suddenly going to be able to make this conversion. 

They are completely out of touch with their constituents.”

Kerri Lonergan-Dreke
Everett, Washington