Kicking Gas’ Commitment to You
We hope you’re enjoying the Fall and if you have a heat pump system, that you’re enjoying the comfort. For those of you who recently got induction stoves, congratulations, you’ve gotten it just in time for the holiday season!
If you haven’t attended a Kicking Gas Info Session, our next one is online tomorrow, Wednesday, November 20 at 6pm. Can’t make it tomorrow? Join us for the December Info Session online Wednesday, December 11 at 6pm.
RSVP for either Info Session on our event page now to fulfill this requirement of our program.
Last month, we launched our Bainbridge Island program in partnership with the City of Bainbridge Island. If you are interested in kicking some gas on Bainbridge Island, fill out this survey to see if you qualify—and please spread the word!
Stuck in the Kicking Gas process? Reach out!
We’re doing our best to respond to everyone, and we do our best when we’re in active communication with our clients and can be mutually supportive. If you are ready to continue the Kicking Gas process, please do reach out to us at derek@kickgasnow.org.
Keep reading below for an opportunity to become a Solarize Star, Kicking Gas’ announcement about the 2024 United States elections, and a testimonial about cooking on an induction stove.
Solarize Sno-Isle! Call for Volunteers
In 2024, we hosted Solarize Island County, providing folks in our community with a simple, more affordable option to install solar panels. Now, we want to spread the love in Snohomish County, too! To do this, we need the help of a few “Solarize Star” outreach volunteers. Are you excited to help spread solar? Can you dedicate a few hours a week, for the duration of the 2025 campaign, roughly January through June? Volunteers will liaise with our partner, Olympia Community Solar, and coordinate the outreach activities (postering, events, social media) with support from our Volunteer Coordinator.
Please reach out to derek@kickgasnow.org to learn more if you’re even remotely interested in this opportunity!
Kicking Gas Post Election
Since the 2024 United States elections, we’ve been getting questions from our constituents about what might be changing, and what our clients need to know to act. In our last email, we focused attention on state ballot initiatives, but changes to the federal government cannot be ignored.
It is likely that the new administration will try to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), however, it is not likely they will be able to do it right away i.e., within the first 100 days, and almost certainly it will not be repealed in its entirety. That said, we should assume that federal support for climate action will evaporate, and KickingGas recommends you take action sooner than later, especially if you’re hoping to take advantage of IRA tax credits. If you got a heat pump in 2024, you should be safe to take advantage of the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit. It is possible that a project done in 2025 may also qualify, but it is at risk depending on how quickly the Trump administration can roll back these supports. If you are looking into solar panels, and especially electric vehicles, we recommend taking action sooner than later.
The IRA is the only meaningful climate policy the United States congress has ever passed. Support for communities through the IRA-funded EPA and other federal agencies is at risk, and so systemic changes we need to make to our communities—especially rural communities—are at risk of repeal. Fortunately, state Initiative 2117 was defeated—voters have upheld and secured the Climate Commitment Act with 62% of the vote. This victory means that Washington State will be among only a few states with some funding available. However, for those concerned about the climate crisis, we need a federal policy, and the repeal of the IRA would effectively forfeit our chances of limiting global warming to 2.0 degrees C.
To make matters worse, the passage of Washington State Initiative 2066 undermines our Kicking Gas efforts to reduce pollution while reducing people’s energy bills. It may cause ratepayers to pay for gas utilities to build new fossil fuel infrastructure, even as we know we must transition away from that same infrastructure.
With the decades of inaction on human-caused climate change at the federal level, local and state action has been important to keep hope alive. Kicking Gas is an example of local action, and we’re not going anywhere. We are committed to supporting households and businesses on Whidbey Island, in Snohomish County, and on Bainbridge Island. And, with your help—we will continue to build our coalition and seek resources to help transition away from fossil fuels and secure a liveable future.
The Joy of Cooking on an Induction Range
Client Testimonial
I admit, I’m a sloppy cook, and patience is not my strong suit. I can’t wait for my pot of oatmeal to boil, so I start another task, and next thing I know, the pot boils over, spilling hot gooey oats all over the cooktop. But since I switched to an induction range, what used to be an occasion for curses and burners with scorched-on oats, is now a simple swipe of my sponge, and I’m back to making breakfast. Magic? No, it’s just that the induction cooktop is nowhere near as hot as my old burners, and it’s a flat glass surface, to boot. No crevices to fill with overflowing oats. Induction stoves heat the pot directly with magnets, bypassing the cooktop. The cooktop gets hot to the touch because it’s indirectly heated through contact with the hot pot, but it never gets too hot to wipe off with a sponge and spills don’t cook to the surface. The perfect solution for sloppy and impatient chefs, or anyone else for that matter! I highly recommend it!
— Linda, Whidbey Island
Do you have an induction cooking story? Share it with us!
Thank you for all you do and are doing to build a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable community!
In community,
Derek Hoshiko on behalf of the Kicking Gas Team