Seattle City Council to Consider Natural Gas Ban

SEATTLE (AP) – The Seattle City Council will consider a ban on natural gas for newly constructed homes and buildings, favoring the use of electricity for heating and cooking.

The Seattle Times reports that Councilmember Mike O’Brien plans to introduce legislation this week that would prohibit natural-gas piping systems in new structures, starting next summer. The ban would take effect for permitting on July 1, 2020.

In July, Berkeley, California, became the first city in the country to ban natural-gas lines from new homes.

O’Brien said the legislation would help the city protect the environment and public health.

Fifty five percent of Seattle’s existing single-family houses were heated by natural gas in 2018, while 28% percent used oil and 16% used electricity, according to O’Brien, who cited the King County Assessor’s Office for the data.