2017 legislative review
Review and potential repeal of the federal Clean Power Plan , partial withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Accord , and the failure of the Washington state Legislature to enact carbon pricing has motivated nonprofit groups to propose another initiative to the people enacting new carbon regulations on the 2018 November General Election ballot . One international conservation group , The Nature Conservancy , filed three exploratory ballot initiatives in June 2017 , and is preparing for an initiative campaign in 2018 . It is possible that more carbon taxes will be proposed during the 2018 legislative session in an attempt to pre-empt a one-size-fits-all ballot initiative .
AWB members are being continuously challenged to share their achievements in environmental protection both through conventional avenues , such as public advocacy , as well as media platforms such as the Washington Climate Collaborative . The following is a brief recap of some of our legislative activities during the 2017 session .
climate and energy policy
HB 1144 amending the state ’ s greenhouse gas reduction targets
Failed / AWB Opposed
House Bill 1144 , sponsored by Rep . Joe Fitzgibbon , D-Burien , followed years of debate regarding the state ’ s statutory greenhouse gas emissions targets . In 2008 , the Legislature approved ESSHB 2815 by request of then-Gov . Christine Gregoire and established a greenhouse gas reduction framework . The current law prescribes that Washington “ shall limit emissions ” to :
• 1990 levels by year 2020 ;
• 25 percent lower than 1990 levels by year 2035 ; and ,
• 50 percent lower than 1990 levels by year 2050 .
In 2015 , the Washington State Attorney General stated that the statutory goals are unenforceable , do not require a program to achieve the reductions , and do not create a cause of action for damages . Despite this guidance , King County Superior Court Judge Hollis Hill ordered the state to issue new recommendations for amending the statutory limits in Zoe and Stella Foster vs . Washington State Department of Ecology ( DOE ). The plaintiffs in the case argued that the statutory targets are binding to protect the public trust of future generations . As such , DOE produced a December 2016 report recommending emissions reductions of :
• 1990 levels by year 2020 ;
• 40 percent lower than 1990 levels by year 2035 ; and ,
• 80 percent lower than 1990 levels by year 2050 .
HB 1144 attempted to amend the existing statute to codify these new , more stringent reduction targets . Since the Governor ’ s Climate Legislative Executive Workgroup discovered that any reductions in Washington state ’ s overall emissions would not have any impact on global greenhouse gas concentrations , the statutory goals are symbolic in nature . Amidst strong business opposition and little appetite for debate unrelated to education , the bill did not move from the House .
HB 1334 restructuring the energy independence act
Failed / AWB Opposed
Voters approved Initiative 937 , the Energy Independence Act , in 2006 . I-937 established a purchasing mandate for utilities , requiring installation of new wind and solar electric generation — sometimes over and above the power utilities ’ need to serve their customers . In doing so , I-937 did not recognize most existing hydropower or carbon-free nuclear power as “ renewable ” resources under state law . The statute has resulted in immense economic distortion between public and private utilities , as well as power providers and their customers . House Bill 1334 , authored by Rep . Gael
Tarleton , D-Ballard , would have extended I-937 past its 2020 expiration date and effectively prevented any new installation of baseload power in the future . The bill died in the House Technology and Economic Development Committee , but AWB member employers expect a similar proposal to reappear as an initiative to the people in 2018 or 2020 .
HB 1372 greenhouse gas reduction targets and biomass
Failed / AWB Opposed
Like House Bill 1144 , House Bill 1372 , sponsored by Rep . Jessyn Farrell , D-Seattle , would have tightened the stringency of the state ’ s greenhouse gas reduction targets . The bill also proposed striking the state ’ s recognition of biomass-produced energy as a renewable resource , a policy that , if enacted , would deal a destructive blow to the state ’ s rural economies in northeastern Washington and on the Olympic Peninsula , both by rendering a forest product unviable and removing a source of affordable , clean power . A 2014 Department of Ecology / Washington State University report noted that the state underutilizes roughly 16.9 million tons of biomass , or enough to power roughly half of the state ’ s residences . The business community strongly opposed HB 1372 , and it died in the House Environment Committee .
32 association of washington business