For many Washington families, particularly those living in older homes and rural communities, energy efficiency isn’t an abstract policy issue. It can mean a warmer home in the winter, lower monthly utility bills, needed home repairs, and a safer and healthier place to live.

That’s why I co-sponsored House Bill 2338, bipartisan legislation that expands Washington’s existing Low-Income Weatherization Program by allowing community-scaled weatherization projects.

As Assistant Ranking Member of the House Capital Budget Committee, I supported HB 2338 through the committee process and voted for its passage on the House floor.

The legislation received overwhelming bipartisan support, passing the House 93-1 and the Senate 48-0 before being signed into law.

What does HB 2338 do?

Washington already has a Low-Income Weatherization Program administered by the Department of Commerce. The program helps eligible households make improvements that can reduce energy consumption, improve indoor environmental quality, and address necessary repairs.

HB 2338 gives that existing program another tool.

Instead of approaching weatherization exclusively one home at a time, the new law allows weatherization funding and matching funds to support community-scaled projects involving multiple dwelling units in the same neighborhood or area.

These projects may include:

• Full or partial home weatherization;
• Energy-efficiency improvements;
• Structural rehabilitation; and
• Repairs needed to make homes safer, healthier, and more energy efficient.

The law also requires the Department of Commerce to prioritize community-scaled projects that serve low-income households.

That means we can take a program that has already helped Washington families and make it more flexible and potentially more efficient.

Why a neighborhood approach matters

Imagine trying to improve dozens of homes in the same small community by treating every house as an entirely separate project.

Contractors may make repeated trips. Materials may be purchased separately. Administrative work can be duplicated. Rural communities can face additional challenges because contractors and specialized services often have to travel considerable distances.

A community-scaled approach creates an opportunity to coordinate that work.

When multiple homes in the same neighborhood need similar improvements, projects can potentially be organized together rather than house by house.

During legislative consideration of HB 2338, supporters specifically testified that this approach could make projects cheaper and easier to complete in rural communities.

For communities throughout Southwest Washington, that is an important consideration.

Helping families with the cost of energy

Affordability remains one of the biggest challenges facing Washington families.

Government should be looking for practical ways to help families reduce their monthly expenses.

Weatherization can help.

Better insulation, air sealing, energy-efficient improvements, and necessary repairs can reduce the amount of energy required to heat and cool a home.

Supporters of HB 2338 told the Capital Budget Committee that the existing weatherization program can save participating families an average of approximately $300 per year in utility costs.

Those savings matter, particularly for seniors on fixed incomes and families already struggling with the rising cost of housing, groceries, transportation, and utilities.

Particularly important for rural Washington

I represent communities where the challenges of delivering services can look very different from those in Seattle or other large urban areas.

Distance matters.

The availability of contractors matters.

The age and condition of the housing stock matter.

And the economics of sending crews and equipment to improve one home at a time matter.

HB 2338 gives communities and weatherization providers greater flexibility to address several homes together when doing so makes sense.

That’s a practical approach that can stretch resources further while helping more families.

Supporting healthier and safer homes

Weatherization isn’t only about electricity or heating bills.

The state’s program can also address indoor environmental quality, necessary repairs, and structural conditions connected with successfully weatherizing a home.

That can be particularly important for older residents who want to remain in their homes.

Improving an existing home may be far more affordable than replacing it, and helping seniors safely remain in their communities can provide benefits well beyond energy savings.

Strengthening our energy system

There is also a broader benefit.

When homes use energy more efficiently, demand on our electrical system can be reduced, particularly during periods of high energy use.

Washington’s population continues to grow, and our demand for electricity is growing with it. Part of meeting that challenge should be getting more value from the energy resources and infrastructure we already have.

Energy efficiency is one tool for doing that.

It can lower household expenses while helping reduce unnecessary demand on the grid.

Bipartisan solutions that make sense

HB 2338 is also an example of the kind of work I believe people expect from their Legislature.

The bill was sponsored by Republicans and Democrats, received bipartisan support in the House Capital Budget Committee, passed the House 93-1, and passed the Senate unanimously.

It doesn’t create a new mandate requiring homeowners to weatherize their homes.

Instead, it makes an existing program more flexible so communities can undertake projects at a scale that makes sense for them.

That’s an important distinction.

We should be looking for opportunities to lower costs, improve homes, strengthen our energy infrastructure, and give local communities better tools to solve local problems.

HB 2338 accomplishes those goals by allowing us to think beyond one house at a time.

For rural Washington in particular, that flexibility could make the difference between a project that is too expensive or complicated to undertake and one that can actually get done.

I was proud to co-sponsor and vote for HB 2338 and to help advance it through the House Capital Budget Committee.

Lower energy costs. Healthier homes. Stronger communities. Smarter use of our energy resources.

That’s a practical investment in Washington families and our future.