The City of Bend is considering adopting a common sense policy to help reduce emissions and the cost of living in our city. Specifically, the City is considering what they’re calling a Climate Impact Fee.

The policy would establish an extra charge for new residential buildings constructed with gas appliances in order to incentivize the use of clean, affordable, and energy efficient appliances like heat pumps. Any revenue from the fee will go towards a fund that supports energy efficiency upgrades in the community.

Right now, city analyses show that the vast majority of new buildings are being constructed with fossil fuel appliances: 95% of new single-family homes, 88% of new townhomes, and 76% of new duplexes are being built with gas in Bend. This trend backpeddles on all of our local and state climate goals, and what science tells us is necessary to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. It also contradicts analyses finding that show all-electric construction is cheaper as the cost of natural gas continues to increase.