(The Center Square) – Republican lawmakers say one of the most concerning bills being moved forward by majority Democrats this session is what GOP members call the “anti-natural gas bill.”
That’s a reference to House Bill 1589 that would ban any gas company that serves more than 500,000 customers – that is, Puget Sound Energy – from connecting new natural gas lines to new residential or commercial buildings, with limited exemptions. Per HB 1589, PSE would also no longer be required to provide natural gas service to existing customers as currently mandated by state law.
A revised version of HB 1589 passed the House on Jan. 22 by a 52-45 vote.
During a Tuesday media briefing with reporters, Senator Shelly Short, R-Addy, expressed her concerns about the legislation.
“You know, I was here many years ago when coal was the topic of conversation, and looking at emissions and even the environmental community said natural gas was the way to go,” Short noted. “Now we come to the point where all of a sudden natural gas is bad.”