New WA bill addressing carbon emissions hopes to link up with California and Quebec
OLYMPIA, Wash. - The cap and trade issue in Washington state is back in the spotlight. This time, a bill that passed the Senate floor this week now wants to link Washington’s carbon market to California and Quebec.
The cap and trade program that passed under the Climate Commitment Act has been talked about a lot in the last year. Some blame it for the record-high gas prices we saw last year.
The measure was championed by Gov. Jay Inslee and it forces carbon emitters like refineries and utilities to buy carbon allowances through an auction.
In response to the backlash, Inslee blamed corporations for driving up gas prices.
The fallout lead to ballot Initiative 2117 and in November, voters will have the chance to repeal the Climate Commitment Act.
ALSO READ: Secretary of State certifies initiative to repeal 'hidden gas tax'
Now enter Senate Bill 6058, sponsored by Sen. Joe Nguyen. It hopes to link Washington’s carbon market with those in California and Quebec.
"By having more certainty and less pressure, less variability will likely decrease the credit itself as well," Nguyen said.
The idea is that a larger market could lower the prices for carbon allowances, so FOX 13 asked Nguyen if it could lower gas prices.
"I am not making any promises either or, I think there are a lot of factors that impact oil prices, this is just to make sure we have a market that is harmonized," Nguyen said.
Nguyen says many factors play a role when it comes to crude oil prices. He says right now, gas prices are lower than they were before the Climate Commitment Act went into effect, showing that the issue is not that simple.
Senate Republican leader John Braun doesn’t have an issue with harmonizing the market, but he’s concerned about Nguyen’s measure turning into an alternative and competing with I-2117.
Braun commented back on Feb 5 during a meeting in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
"Although there is language in the bill that says it’s not an alternative, I think a lot of legal analysis is saying this will be an alternative to Initiative 2117," Braun said.
FOX 13 posed that question to Senator Nguyen.
"It’s not meant to be an alternative to 2117. Obviously, the attorneys will have to figure this out, and we have legal analysis that we probably should be ok," Nguyen said.
Nguyen says the language of the bill also says it will be null and void if it does become an alternative.
But Braun says this is not the year to bring up a carbon linkage measure. He wants voters to weigh in on I-2117 before additional carbon issues are voted on.
FOX 13 reached out to Lets Go Washington to get a response about SB 6058. The group is behind I-2117 and five other ballot initiatives now on the November ballot.
Their statement reads, in part:
"This is lipstick on a regressive tax pig. And it still doesn’t do anything to take carbon out of the air," Lets Go Washington Founder Brian Heywood said.