STATE CONSIDERING BAN ON NATURAL GAS AND FORCED ELECTRIC HEAT IN RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION

Two months after banning nearly all non-electric space and water heating in commercial buildings, the Washington State Building Code Council is now proposing to extend the ban to residential structures.  The proposed residential rule change would require heat pumps for nearly all space and water heating in single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes, and multi-family dwellings of 1 to 3 stories.  Natural gas, baseboard heaters, wall heaters, radiant heat systems and electric furnaces would be banned.

The WSPC is concerned that bans like these will eventually lead to the loss of natural gas in uses important to food production.  Natural gas is critical for processing frozen potato products and in the production of nitrogen fertilizer.