When the State Building Code Council (SBCC) adopted a new energy code effectively banning natural gas hookups in new homes and the Washington State Legislature passed a bill (HB1589) requiring Puget Sound Energy to force natural gas customers to switch to electrical heating, it would have been easy to surrender to this policy. After all, lawmakers had attached an "emergency" clause to the bill to deny challengers an opportunity for voters to have their say. Without that clause, a referendum would need 202,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot, but with the "emergency" designation, any challenge would require 405,000 signatures. In almost any other circumstance, raising the bar to 405,000 signatures would have been the final stake in the heart of the opposition.

Collecting the normal 202,000 is difficult and expensive enough, 405,000 signatures would be next to impossible.

Fortunately, the team at the BIAW had had enough. First, they'd seen how the Washington SBCC had illegally adopted new rules intended to ban natural gas water and space heating in new and remodeled construction, violating state laws that require calculating the impact on small businesses in Washington state. Then they watched as the Washington State Legislature passed legislation to target current gas customers, a policy that would inevitably strip choice from consumers, increase energy costs, and strain Washington's already-pressured electrical grid. Instead of throwing up their hands, the men and women of the BIAW picked up their clipboards. They and their coalition partners shocked pundits and inspired voters by collecting 546,000 signatures the second highest total in state history and doing it in less than two months.

Their initiative to repeal the state's effort to squeeze out natural gas was approved. Almost 2 million (1,941,474) Washingtonians voted to repeal the state's unfair, unnecessary and expensive rules.

But the battle wasn't over.

Advocates of the natural gas ban sued to stop the repeal and convinced a King County Superior Court Judge to side with them. Undaunted, the BIAW coalition sought and obtained a direct review from the Washington State Supreme Court where it is expected to be heard this fall or winter.

For their tenacity in defending energy choices for the consumers of Washington and their determination to undo an expensive and unnecessary set of rules that would increase home construction costs, energy costs, and would add electricity demand at a time when Washington is predicted to experience a shortfall, the men and women of the BIAW are named Washington Policy Center's 2025 Champion of Freedom.