State Senate acts on two of Gov. Jay Inslee’s priority climate bills

Gov. Inslee

The Climate Commitment Act (CCA) would cap greenhouse gas emissions and invest in clean energy, climate resilience and transportation. 

This legislation would help the state meet goals set by the Legislature last session to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill focuses on equity, ensuring an environmental justice analysis for all investments made with the revenue generated from capping emissions. 

The CCA also takes the lessons learned from other state’s programs into consideration, building in ways to further protect the communities who are the most impacted by the climate crisis. 

The bill now goes to the House for further consideration, with a hearing scheduled in the Energy and Environment Committee on Wednesday.

The Senate also passed HB 1091, a clean fuel standard, which would reduce emissions in the state's biggest polluting sector: transportation. 

This legislation would also help to grow clean energy jobs, with new potential biofuel sources and infrastructure investments all across the state. The bill is technology neutral, which means its goals can be met with electricity, biofuels or other emissions-reducing improvements.

Biofuels are already made in Washington, but residents lose out on much of the cleaner energy they provide. That’s because the fuels are transported to places like Oregon, California and British Columbia where there are established clean fuel standards to help drive demand. 

Growing biofuels in Washington will grow jobs in clean energy, and will create new demand for waste products, giving farmers, restaurateurs and others a chance to increase their revenue.

Having previously passed the House, HB 1091 will now go to conference for the House and Senate to work out differences in language.