The Ashland City Council took its final vote on Tuesday night on a new ordinance related to natural gas usage in the city.
Ashland High School senior Piper Banks is one of the members of the Rogue Climate Action Team, the youth group that first pushed for this ordinance. She said essentially, this will be a fee for new residential homes if they choose to install natural gas appliances, like ovens or hot water heaters.
鈥淚f you are choosing to build a new home and you are determined to have a gas appliance, you would have to pay a fee on that gas appliance,鈥� Banks said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hoping to push Ashland to make sure we鈥檙e meeting our climate goals and addressing the climate crisis within Ashland.鈥�
Banks and others have been working on this for so long that some of their members have graduated and gone off to college, being replaced by other youth.
The group was initially pushing for a blanket ban on natural gas installation in all new residential and commercial construction in the city.
Natural gas has been touted by the industry as the better alternative to electricity in home appliance use. They鈥檝e said it鈥檚 cheaper, more reliable, that natural gas will continue to work even when your power goes out.
This youth group has been trying to get Ashland to commit to its climate change platform. While the city has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, natural gas use increased by around 10% between 2015 and 2020.
During Tuesday鈥檚 meeting, Ashland Resident Caleb Heeringa told the council the city needs to take action now.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e in a hole, quit digging,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd the pollution fee is a really important first step to incentivize builders to build with the most efficient and cleanest options available for powering buildings.鈥�
This youth group introduced their ordinance almost two years ago, and the city has spent a lot of that time looking at their legal options.
The legal world of natural gas bans has been a tricky place.
In Eugene, the city was primed to become the first in Oregon to require 100% electric appliances in new home construction. But the gas utility Northwest Natural funded a signature gathering campaign and forced the issue onto the ballot for a city-wide vote. Then, a federal appeals court struck down an almost identical law in Berkeley, California. The Eugene City Council backed down from the ordinance, worried about the legal backlash if it were to pass.
In Ashland, city staff have been worried about the legal ramifications of their own ordinance.
Chad Woodward is the city鈥檚 climate analyst. At a meeting last month, he said city staff recommended a way forward they think is the least risky.
鈥淭his is a tactic that's been used in the city of Burlington [Vermont] to help reduce carbon emissions,鈥� said Woodward. 鈥淚t's based on our local energy consumption.鈥�
Essentially, a new homeowner who chooses to install natural gas will have to pay for the climate costs associated with that up front.
The fee will vary depending on which natural gas appliances are installed, how much carbon emissions they emit, and the intended service life of the appliance. The city estimated for a typical gas furnace, that could be an extra fee of over $4000.
The money collected from the fee will be put into the city鈥檚 .
The natural gas utility Avista, which serves Ashland, made one last effort to stop the passage of the law.
鈥淚'll just say that there are consequences in the adoption of the carbon impact fee that we could discuss at length,鈥� said Avista Spokesperson Steve Vincent. 鈥淚 would encourage you to vote no on the ordinance at this time, and then invite a conversation on how we can look at decarbonization of the community mutually.鈥�
City Council members noted that Avista has been a part of the conversation about this ordinance.
A number of union members also came to speak against the ordinance, including Albert Nicholson.
鈥淚'm in that field of construction,鈥� said Nicholson. 鈥淎nd yes, it might cost the homeowners a little bit more to build a house with gas. In the long run, it is cheaper.鈥�
Innovations like electric heat pumps have meant that using electricity to heat your home has become on par, if not more efficient, than natural gas. The city of Ashland runs its own electric utility, which hasn鈥檛 raised its rates since 2021.
"With that choice comes an equal amount of responsibility."Jeff Dahle, Ashland City Council member
Avista鈥檚 rates have fluctuated up and down over the years, because of changes in the natural gas market. The company is for residential customers.
City Council members were generally supportive of the ordinance, seeing it as the first step towards a greener Ashland.
Council-member Jeff Dahle said this fee simply makes home builders responsible for their contribution to climate change.
鈥淚 believe in freedom of choice, especially as it relates to energy,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut with that choice comes an equal amount of responsibility.鈥�
After the city council鈥檚 unanimous decision to support the new ordinance, the Rogue Climate Action Team Members filed outside for a celebration.
These organizers are hoping that this pollution fee is just the first step for Ashland towards reducing carbon emissions in the city, and setting an example for other small towns throughout the country.
This is one of the group鈥檚 biggest wins yet. Rogue Climate Organizing Director Jess Grady Benson told the group to hold onto what they鈥檙e feeling right now.
鈥淲e鈥檙e gonna need this feeling, because it鈥檚 rough out there right now, you know. We all know what鈥檚 going on,鈥� Grady Benson said. 鈥淏ut this is why it鈥檚 more possible than ever for us to build power together, because we need each other.鈥�
