A group of Washington lawmakers advanced a bill to put a carbon tax on transportation fuels and power plants but not before dropping the price of the charge.
The state's Senate Energy, Environment & Technology Committee on Feb. 1 approved a revised version of S.B. 6203, which sets a tax of $10/tonne on carbon emissions starting July 1, 2019. Starting July 1, 2021, the tax increases $2/tonne per year until hitting a cap of $30/tonne.
Gov. Jay Inslee had proposed a $20/tonne tax to take effect July 1, 2019, to increase by the rate of inflation plus 3.5% starting Jan. 1, 2020. But some stakeholders, including local utility companies Avista Corp., Cascade Natural Gas Corp. and Northwest Natural Gas Co., in January told the committee that the starting price and escalator needed to change.
Sen. Reuven Carlyle, one of the bill's sponsors and chair of the committee, said it is important to send the bill along and continue to explore ways to be responsible about the next generation of energy strategy in Washington.
"This is a much more modest proposal that maps out an approach over time that, I think, offers predictability to our industry partners and to utilities," he said.
Money from the tax would go toward efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, give assistance to vulnerable communities and increase the resilience of Washington's natural resources to the impacts of climate change.
The bill was referred to the Ways & Means Committee on Feb. 2 but is not yet on an upcoming committee agenda. The bill would head to the full Senate for consideration if it clears that committee.
