2017 legislative review
approach . Senate Bill 5385 included a nonescalating $ 15 per ton price on carbon and would have exempted imported electricity from the tax . It also would have funded a portion of the state ’ s school bus fleet , and allocated the remaining revenue to energy subsidies , fish barriers and stormwater investments . It would not have exempted any energy-intensive and trade-exposed industries . Additionally , Sen . Hobbs ’ proposal would have been the first piece of legislation heard this session preventing the state Department of Ecology from moving forward with the Clean Air Rule regulation . SB 5385 died in the Senate Energy , Environment and Telecommunications Committee .
SB 5930 carbon pollution tax
Failed / AWB Opposed
Sen . Guy Palumbo , D-Maltby , proposed several carbon tax measures throughout legislative session . Following a period of thorough solicitation of business input , Senate Bill 5930 was drafted to include economy-friendly policy items new to the carbon-pricing policy discussion . SB 5930 would have set a $ 15 per ton price on carbon increasing 2.5 percent per year , phased in the carbon tax on utilities , and exempted imported power and the electricity used by energy-intensive and trade-exposed industries , biomass , biofuels , and agricultural emissions . Additionally , SB 5930 would have credited 75 percent of the carbon tax back to utilities for clean-energy infrastructure projects , and preempted the state ’ s Clean Air Rule . Revenue would have been divided between the Carbon Reduction Solutions Account ($ 400 million ), stormwater and water storage ( 20 percent ), forest health and National Guard Fire Suppression ( 20 percent ), and Carbon Reduction Investment Fund , a capital account intended to buy carbon reductions through clean-energy investments deployed by public and private entities ( 45 percent ). The Senate Ways and Means Committee declined to hear the bill .
HB 2230 carbon emissions tax for washington ’ s natural resources
Failed / AWB Opposed
Although Rep . Joe Fitzgibbon , D-Burien , declined to move his prior carbon tax proposal , House Bill 1646 , out of the House Environment Committee , he continued to work on improved draft proposals throughout the special legislative sessions . House Bill 2230 was introduced with just one week left before the end of the fiscal biennium , and thus reflected Democrat budget negotiators ’ search for new revenue to fund the state ’ s McCleary obligation . HB 2230 proposed a $ 15 per-ton tax increasing at a rate of 7 percent every year either until the state hits its statutory emissions-reduction targets or around $ 120 in year 2047 . Like HB 1646 , HB 2230 also would have increased the state ’ s statutory emissions reduction targets by 60 percent — targeting an 80 percent reduction from 1990 levels in emissions by year 2050 . Maritime and aviation fuels would have been exempt , while agricultural and public transportation fuels would have been exempt until 2039 . Utilities would have had the tax phased in until 2024 , and would have been credited 60 percent of their electricity and 30 percent of their natural gas tax for investment in clean-energy projects .
Revenues from HB 2230 would have been dispersed primarily toward existing and emerging budget-related costs associated with natural-resource activities at the state government level , including an annual $ 200 million Natural Resources Super Account funding current maintenancelevel activities , funding for in-kind water mitigation required by the Supreme Court ’ s decision in cite Whatcom County v . Hirst , Futurewise , et al ., a Mitigation Tax Grant program to provide financial assistance based on income and marital status , and other water , forest , and energy investments . The Equitable Transition Fund for retraining of displaced workers was scaled down to a continuous appropriation of $ 20 million , and energy-intensive and tradeexposed ( EITE ) industries were eligible for four- to six-year exemption certificates by the state Department of Commerce . Additionally , Rep . Fitzgibbon allowed for
Amy Igloi Creed of Amy ’ s on the Bay , Jim Jesernig of Northwest Industrial Gas Users , and Tim Boyd of Industrial Customers of Northwest Utilities testify before the House Environment Committee .
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