UPDATE: Draft Proposals for CLEW Public Hearing on December 13th

Draft Proposals of Representative Short and Senator Ericksen

Overview:

  • Incentivize hydroelectric power generation
  • Encourage conservation under I-937
  • Allow renewable energy credit banking
  • Promote R&D for clean technologies
  • Modify fuel mix reporting system
  • Replace fossils fuels with nuclear generation
  • Revisit targets established in 2008
  • Study consumption- and generation-based accounting of emissions
  • Complete currently insufficient analysis of the costs associated with GHG reduction policies


Draft Proposal for the CLEW Public Hearing on December 13 by Governor Inslee, Senator Ranker and Representative Fitzgibbon

Overview:

  • The Climate Legislative and Executive Workgroup is charged by law “to recommend a state program of actions and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, that if implemented would ensure achievement of the state’s emissions targets in RCW 70.235.020.”
  • From the technical evaluation, the Workgroup has learned that, despite significant progress, our statutory carbon pollution limits will not be met without additional action.
  • We find that action will be needed on multiple fronts – both to ensure that the limits are met, and to fairly allocate the responsibility for action. We also find that actions need to start soon, to allow the time needed for more gradual changes.
  • To meet the Workgroup’s statutory obligation, we have identified a set of actions that will secure the additional emission reductions by the required dates, and are recommending that the State move forward to design and implement these actions.
  • The law further calls for prioritizing actions based on both environmental and cost effectiveness (i.e., ensuring the greatest amount of environmental benefit for each dollar spent), requiring consideration of the costs, benefits, and results of the proposed actions.
  • Based on the information reviewed by the Workgroup, we believe these policies are the most cost effective tools we have available to meet our state emission limits. As we move forward, it will be important to design our actions in a way that maximizes the benefits and minimizes the costs of implementation, by directly considering our emissions and energy sources, and our businesses and jobs.
  • Most importantly, we believe action is needed now, to do our part in preventing climate change from becoming worse, while concurrently capturing the job growth opportunities of a clean energy economy. This is a tall order, but one we are confident must, and can, be achieved.