(The Center Square) – The plaintiffs behind a lawsuit in federal court against Washington’s new building code requirements are now seeking to get the case dropped. The decision came less than a month after a federal judge refused to temporarily block the new code requirements.
The updated code restricts the use of natural gas for space and water heating in new construction in favor of heat pumps, which are energy efficient but costlier to install. Utilities and the building industry have previously warned it will add to the price of new housing.
In an email to The Center Square, Building Industry Association of Washington General Counsel Jackson Maynard wrote that “we were all disappointed in the judge’s ruling and frustrated affected industries, trades and individuals will be forced to wait until we learn what the Building Code Council decides in September. However, this decision, and the plaintiffs decision to voluntarily dismiss the case, allows us to focus our full attention on persuading the state Building Code Council to restore greater access to natural gas in new residential and commercial construction.”
In a statement, Earthjustice Senior Attorney Jan Hasselman wrote that “the gas industry in the Northwest is starting to see the writing on the wall and the sooner they join the transition to clean energy, instead of fighting it, the better for both their customers and our climate.”
The energy code updates reflect a growing effort in Washington state to transition away from natural gas. A bill proposed this legislative session would have had Puget Sound Energy, the state’s largest utility provider, end new natural gas service starting in July. However, the bill failed to clear both chambers.
The new energy code will take effect in October. The energy code is updated every three years.
