Eugene Residents for Energy Choice— a political action committee financed by NW Natural, a natural gas distributor— has successfully gathered enough signatures to put the new city ordinance banning natural gas in construction of new buildings under three stories to a public vote.
On Feb. 6, the Eugene City Council voted to ban natural gas in construction of new buildings under three stories.
“We believe this is a disservice to everyone who lives in Eugene and to our shared climate goals,” NW Natural said in a statement.
The referendum the PAC petitioned for puts the measure up for a public vote as soon as May 2023, delaying the previous set start date of June 2023.
According to the Eugene city recorder, the PAC has gathered enough signatures to put the natural gas ban to a public vote. Canvassers have been knocking on doors and petitioning on the University of Oregon’s campus to collect the signatures. NW Natural donated over $1 million to this campaign since February according to ORESTAR.
“The real concern there is just that they’re going to be flooding the community with misinformation,” Danny Noonan, a climate and energy strategist at Breach Collective, said. “They already have a track record and a demonstrated capacity to misinform the public.”
The Eugene coalition Fossil Free Eugene has been working toward electrification in Eugene, with the goal of pushing the city to move away from reliance on fossil fuels for energy.
“The scientific evidence is pretty clear that we have to move away from fossil fuels and stop the spread of fossil fuel infrastructure,” Fossil Free Eugene Coalition Coordinator Aya Cockram said.
The ban would only apply to residences under three stories tall. It would not include businesses or apartment complexes exceeding three stories, or any existing residences using natural gas as its energy source.
The use of natural gas has not only been a concern for the environment, but a concern to public health. Gas appliances emit the greenhouse gas methane and pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide, into the home even when not in use. These pollutants are known to damage the respiratory system. According to a study conducted by the nonprofit Rocky Mountain Institute, 12.7% of asthma cases in children have been linked to gas appliances in residences due to their effect on indoor air quality.
Gradient Corps, a consulting company that works with companies in the tobacco, natural gas and chemical companies to defend their practices as clean and safe, has been a consultant for NW Natural, and testified to Eugene city council decrying these studies.
Paige Hopkins, climate justice organizer for Beyond Toxics, said there have not been enough studies on the effects of indoor pollution coming from gas stoves.
Looking ahead, Fossil Free Eugene hopes to expand electrification ordinances to new high rise construction for buildings three stories and over.
