Cascadia boasts some of the most ambitious climate pollution-cutting goals in the nation. Meeting those targets requires millions of homes and businesses to transition off gas and onto clean electricity. But the state’s gas utilities are expanding, prolonging the lifespan of the polluting gas system and creating massive financial risks for gas customers. At the same time, gas utilities are obstructing decarbonization solutions while promoting dangerous, expensive, and unproven ideas like hydrogen for home heating.

Building and incentivizing clean appliances and infrastructure for individual homes—Cascadia’s approach to date—is necessary but not sufficient to meet today’s climate challenge. It’s time for a step-change in ambition. Cascadia needs to start pruning the gas system, electrifying whole neighborhoods, and recruiting gas utilities onto “Team Climate.” Sightline’s research and analysis provides state and local leaders and climate advocates with a roadmap for getting there quickly and equitably.