Families and businesses should have a choice of energy options to meet their needs. This is not a decision that should be mandated. The majority of Milwaukie voters agreed in a survey by the respected and nonpartisan firm DHM Research. This survey revealed that 61% of Milwaukie voters oppose a ban on new natural gas hookups. Energy system diversification and competition provide the best opportunity for accelerated innovation, including renewable natural gas and hydrogen.

Last year’s City Council asked staff to bring forward a resolution to ban natural gas in new residential buildings without any analysis of potential impacts of gas bans in our community. The resolution passed 3-2. Before it takes any further action to ban natural gas, we believe, and Milwaukie voters agree, the City Council should determine the impacts on carbon emissions and costs to families and businesses.

Families should be free to make choices for energy options to meet their needs, especially when looking for a new home. This is not a decision that should be mandated by the council — it should be up to Milwaukie residents to decide.  

In Milwaukie, 83% of voters believe the council should not act on its own but instead refer any proposal to ban natural gas to the ballot to a public vote.

Natural gas is an affordable and reliable source of energy, and Milwaukie residents should have the choice to use it. We need a dual energy system – gas and electric – to handle peak energy loads, and extreme weather, and protect reliability. Many homes and businesses with natural gas can have energy even when the power is out, providing resiliency and safety for our communities.  

Thanks to recent advancements, the gas system can now be used in new, innovative ways to heat homes and businesses. New technology allows greenhouse gas emissions from waste streams produced at farms, wastewater treatment plants, and landfills to be turned into renewable natural gas, which is critical to lowering emissions much like wind and solar energy.

"While we come from different perspectives, we share a principled approach to thoughtful carbon reduction policies and believe in economic prosperity and housing policies that ensure affordability, reliability and resiliency in the long run for the people we serve and represent." 

Click here to view the November 2022 letter submitted to the Milwaukie Mayor and City Council from 14 business, organizations and labor unions expressing concern with the proposed gas ban.