Yolanda Matthews from Puget Sound Sage asks Gov. Jay Inslee to "lessen the burden" on low-income families. SCREENSHOT OF PUGET SOUND SAGE'S FACEBOOK LIVESTREAM
By Ruth Sawyer, Beyond Coal Organizer
On Friday, July 31 -- only one day before a moratorium on shutting off utilities was set to expire across Washington state --Gov. Jay Inslee signed a proclamation extending it a third time. That means that until at least October 15th, utilities are not allowed to cut off water, power or phone service to Washington residents who can’t afford them.
This was an important victory for Sierra Club, Puget Sound Sage, and others who have been working to ensure that people have access to essential utilities during the pandemic. In order to convince the Governor to extend the moratorium, activists wrote letters to the editor about the issue, orchestrated a number of actions on social media, and even delivered a utility shut-off notice to the Governor’s front step on the 30th.
At least for now, Washingtonians won't have to worry about their power being shut off if they can't pay. For families on the edge of economic ruin and fighting to stay safe and healthy during the pandemic, this is no small feat.
Sierra Club has been working to ensure that people have access to clean water and renewable energy for decades. Now more than ever, access to these basic human needs is threatened by our extractive system. We are standing up -- with a host of other organizations in Washington State -- to make sure that people can access utilities as a part of a broader agenda to build back better from the many crises we face.
Our goal throughout the pandemic -- and the economic shock and disruption that will continue in its wake -- is for every Washington resident to be able to count on uninterrupted, stable, and debt-free utility service. We believe that access to clean energy is a human right.
Join us! We’re in negotiations with some of the utilities now to create a long-term set of policies that will help people affected by this issue, and we’ll need to amp up the pressure to make sure they do the right thing.
Click here to get involved!
(Select "Clean Energy" and mention "Utility Work" to get plugged into this work)