People in Bend are struggling to breathe clean air, even inside their own homes. Fossil fuel use is driving global warming and our growing fire season that worsens every year.

Amid this, the Bend City Council is considering whether they will Band-Aid, or find real solutions to the growing risks and damages of global warming. Wildfire losses in the millions threaten both life and property. The Bend Council must accept the grim reality that Bend has the highest fire risk in Oregon, according to Climatecheck.com. They must consider that 89% of all properties in the city are included in this assessment. What if, just one of these fires, that frequently encircle our city, turned catastrophic?

Compounding this is that wildfires have begun to impact overall economic well-being. Mt Bachelor is so threatened by climate impacts, it is seeking new owners. Many other businesses also suffer. They see those “quiet days” when tourists stay away, and people stay inside, protecting themselves from poor air quality. It is time to turn to common sense electrification to lower costs and risks for homeowners, renters, and businesses.

Even worse, the air quality inside our homes also threatens our health. Fossil gas appliances in our homes and buildings contribute to global warming. They also contribute to asthma, heart, and lung disease, and premature death. A report from UCLA found that if all residential gas appliances were replaced by clean electric models, the pollution reductions in the outdoor air would lead to 354 fewer deaths and 596 fewer cases of acute bronchitis each year in California. We could expect similar benefits in Bend.

The solution is to stop new gas infrastructure and require electrification in new buildings. The GTN pipeline expansion on Bend’s east side (a 60+ year old pipeline) is a huge safety risk for explosions and fire. Pumping volumes of new gas into this aging pipeline raises risks for rupture and explosions. Bend Councilors can minimize this risk significantly just by stopping new gas infrastructure. These explosions and associated fires could occur anywhere in the aging 60-year-old infrastructure; from the pipeline to our homes and businesses.

Bend Council can point the city in the right direction to reduce all of these risks. They have the opportunity to protect and improve the lives of our vulnerable communities, businesses, and all people. Requiring electrification has outstanding benefits. It also improves housing affordability by making homes cheaper to construct.

Builders want to build cheaper homes. But many, stuck in “old ways” don’t realize that electrification provides this opportunity. Rocky Mountain Institute found that an all-electric home is cheaper to build and operate. Builders of all-electric homes can save $6,171 per single family home and $3,361 for multifamily. Owners and renters can save $300-$1,000 per year or more by switching to highly efficient heat pump furnaces and water heaters. Pacific Power has been adding new transmission lines throughout Bend to prepare for this.

Will the Bend City Council lead to set appliance standards to protect our health and safety? The EPA has stated that appliance standards are a valuable, comprehensive solution, perhaps the most valuable to reduce pollution and improve health.

Appliance standards setting maximums for pollutants provide a bold solution that goes beyond the “bare minimum” policies of the past that have done little to protect communities. We need beneficial electrification solutions for the common good. Not the solutions chosen by those who wish to only benefit their own bottom line.

The Center for Climate Integrity states that the movement to hold polluters accountable has grown significantly. Communities keep prevailing over polluters’ attempts to escape accountability. A majority of voters across the political spectrum continue to support holding polluters accountable. I urge Bend City Council to keep up this momentum with strong policy decisions that reduce gas and favor electrification. It is time for them to lead, rather than concede.

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