As the State legislative leaders began budget negotiations behind closed doors, Senate Democrats brought two major proposals that are part of Gov. Inslee’s climate-change agenda to the floor for a vote on Thursday. … The two bills referenced are SB 5126, which would establish a cap-and-trade program and it passed by a 25-24 vote, with […]
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Latest state green bill needs more thought
Residents throughout Walla Walla County have voiced concern over House Bill 1091. … Though this low carbon fuel standard plan for Washington state has good intentions, its price tag at the pump is too much for state residents, particularly for farmers and long-haul truckers. … “I think there would be a significantly negative impact on […]
What cap-and-trade climate legislation would mean for energy prices and the environment
Washington drivers could see an increase in the cost of gas of between 30 and 50 cents per gallon in 2023 if a package of climate and gas tax bills is adopted this month. That would be on top of the 67 cents a gallon in gas taxes Washingtonians already pay. The three bills – […]
Combined with cap-and-trade, an LCFS simply becomes waste and graft
If the legislature passes both a CO2 cap-and-trade bill (SB 5126) and the low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) – as now appears likely – it would have the same corrupting effect, rewarding insider special interests and favored political allies while doing absolutely nothing to reduce CO2 emissions. … A CO2 cap-and-trade system puts a limit (i.e., […]
Donnelly: Proposed bills chart wrong course for state
Washington’s economy needs some TLC. Last year’s employment decline was deeper than during the Great Recession. Recovery is fragile. Yet our Democrat-controlled Legislature is advancing four bills that would add costs and taxes, impose more government controls, and invent arcane new regulations without a rigorous look at either costs or effectiveness. … The Low-Carbon Fuel […]
Proposed CO2 policies would increase price of gas 20 cents per gallon in 2023 and 50 cents in 2028
If the state legislature adopts both a CO2 cap-and-trade system and a low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) – as the budget proposed by State Senate Democrats indicates – it would add about 20 cents to the cost of a gallon of gas in 2023. That would increase to between 41 and 50 cents per gallon, using […]
Air quality claims about LCFS mandate contradicted by renewable fuel expert
Advocates of mandating a low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) in Washington state claim the regulation would reduce air pollution along roads and would even reduce the amount of smoke pollution from forest fires in Washington state. These two claims are completely inaccurate, according to information from a lead scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and […]
HB 1091, to impose a costly and ineffective Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) on the people of Washington state
Key Findings By focusing on a narrow subset of Washington’s CO2 emissions, the low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) is certain to be more expensive than alternatives. The claim that the LCFS would not increase prices and that costs haven’t been higher than expected is contradicted by the data and the statements of LCFS supporters themselves. The […]
LCFS debate continues in Senate committee
With the passage of E3SHB 1091 in the state House earlier this month, the debate over its proposed low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) continued during a March 10 public hearing in the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee. Much of the testimony from both industry and environmentalists centered on the effectiveness of the program and […]
Proposal for cleaner fuel in Washington could raise gas prices
Republican critics cited a 2019 study by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, which found a clean fuel standard could raise gasoline prices 57-cents a gallon. OLYMPIA, Wash. — A proposal for a new clean fuel standard in Washington state, which could raise gas prices, passed off the floor of the state’s House Saturday and […]