Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-White Center, announced Thursday their plans to propose a bill during next year's legislative session that would protect access to electricity and running water during extreme heat.
Should the bill pass, utility companies in Washington would not be able to shut off power or water after temperatures reach or exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
"Washingtonians should not suffer and die because they miss a payment on a utility bill," Ferguson said in a press release.
Climate change has made such conditions increasingly frequent in the state and throughout the Pacific Northwest.
The 2021 "heat dome" killed 157 people, according to the state Department of Health, making it the deadliest weather event in state history. Seven towns and cities — Walla Walla, Omak, Moses Lake, Yakima, Spokane, Seattle and Pullman — saw record-breaking heat.
Earlier this year, Seattle experienced six consecutive days with temperatures that exceeded 90 degrees, a record for the city.
Extreme weather often and disproportionately affects vulnerable communities, people of color and those with low income. The bill announced Thursday aims to protect such communities from power shutoffs when they need electricity and water the most.
On numerous occasions, wildfires and powerful windstorms have forced electric utilities in Washington to shut off power.
Puget Sound Energy, the state's largest energy utility, provides electricity to more than 1.2 millions customers in 10 counties. The utility already has provisions in place that restrict shutoffs incurred by a failure to pay after temperatures reach 90 degrees, according to spokesperson Andrew Padula.
Nearly 20 states, including Oregon, California and Nevada, limit utility shutoffs during extreme heat and cold weather. Washington, as it stands, limits shutoffs only during extreme cold.
"People with low incomes are getting hit hardest by recent shifts in weather patterns caused by climate change," Marcy Bowers, executive director of the Statewide Poverty Action Network, said in the press release. "They live in homes and apartments that are less likely to have energy efficiency upgrades or neighborhoods with few trees and limited shade."
