On February 6, Eugene City Councilors passed a natural gas ban that eliminates energy choice for new homes – the first step on the path toward a complete ban across all of Eugene.

The unilateral decision was made during a session that was closed to public comment, despite thousands of residents, workers and community leaders who registered their opposition in writing and in earlier meetings.

In response, Eugene for Energy Choice launched a signature-gathering campaign to refer the issue to the ballot – because we believe all Eugene residents should have a voice in choosing what energy system is right for them.

In just 30 days, we collected nearly twice the amount of signatures required to send the city council’s ban on natural gas in new homes to the ballot on November 7.

We strongly believe that this is the right path forward. And we are obviously not alone.

In April of this year, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a ban on natural gas in new construction in Berkley, California, finding that the city’s ordinance bypassed important federal energy regulations.

When it comes to energy choice, the citizens of Eugene deserve a voice. And they will have one in the November election. Pledge to vote in November.