SEATTLE — Mayor Jenny Durkan signed into law a plan Tuesday to convert oil-heated homes in Seattle to carbon electric heat, ramping up efforts to make the city carbon neutral by 2050, according to a news release from the mayor's office.
Durkan's plan was unanimously passed Sept. 23 by City Council.
According to the news release, the legislation imposes a tax on oil heating beginning July 1, 2020, as well as a requirement that owners of heating oil tanks decommission or upgrade their underground oil tanks by 2028.
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The news release claims oil heat is "the least efficient, most expensive, and most polluting form of home heating in Seattle."
"Earlier this month, millions of young people around the world – including thousands here in Seattle – marched to demand action on climate change," Durkan said. "Moving faster to convert Seattle's homes off of dirty fossil fuels is good for our climate, our economy and the future of the young people who continue to advocate for change."
The news release claims there are around 18,000 oil-heated homes in Seattle and that most of the city's oil tanks are old and have leaks that damage soil, property and groundwater.
Part of the revenue generated from the oil-heating tax will fund grants for roughly 3,000 homes to transition to cleaner and more efficient heating pumps, the news release said.
Cox Media Group
