washington business
360
With respect to climate policy, what is the
best approach for Washington?
Gov. Jay Inslee made passage of a cap-and-trade energy tax one of his top priorities for the 2015 legislative
session, but lawmakers failed to act on his proposals. Now the governor is talking about going directly to voters
with a climate-related initiative, and pursuing new regulations to cap carbon emissions.
The State of Washington produces less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the world’s carbon
dioxide (CO2). We are a major hydroelectric state, but we do not recognize hydro as
“renewable.” We have some of the best scientific minds in the world when it comes
to nuclear power, yet our state government will not pursue new nuclear technologies.
We are an export dependent state that manufactures one of the largest CO2 emitters
in the world, the commercial airplane.
Here is a fundamental fact that we must consider moving forward: a tax on
carbon is a tax on energy and a tax on energy will drive manufacturing jobs out of
Washington — with little to no environmental gains.
It is in this environment that Senate Republicans are leading the way on new energy
technologies that will keep the cost of our energy low, create less pollution, and
protect our manufacturing job base. Not to mention that we are fighting to keep
energy costs low for families to heat or cool their homes and drive their kids to
school.
There is no doubt that increasing taxes on energy will reduce carbon emissions
in Washington. Businesses will shut down here and move high-quality/high-wage
jobs to other states or overseas — reducing carbon emissions. Families will have less
money to spend, their quality of life will suffer and they will produce less carbon.
So what can we do to move Washington toward a new energy future while keeping
energy costs low and protecting our manufacturing jobs base? The Blueprint for a
New Energy Future has already been put in place by the state Senate and is ready
Sen. Doug Ericksen
to be implemented. Here are some (but not all) of the solutions we are currently
working on:
1. The Carbon Reduction and New Energy
Incentive Act (SB 5735): This legislation would
convert our cumbersome and inefficient I-937
laws to allow for investments in carbon reduction
and new energy to count toward I-937 mandates.
Instead of shipping our dollars to European
Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, is the chair of the Senate
windmill companies or buying the governmentEnergy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee
created Renewable Energy Credits, we could spend
our dollars in Washington on projects that reduce
carbon, reduce air pollution, and save low-income
families money on their utility bills — a win-win solution that could become a model for the nation.
2. Nuclear Power: Sen. Sharon Brown and Rep. Larry Haler represent the Tri-Cities area — the place in America with the
highest concentration of Ph.D.s per capita in the country. They are leading the way on the next wave of nuclear technology
— safe, base load, reliable and carbon-free energy. We can deploy this technology here and we can export it to the world.
An energy vision for the future—
washington state style
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16 association of washington business