Cap and invest (E2SSB 5735)

Governor Gregoire’s climate change bill failed to pass before the Legislature adjourned; however, should the Legislature be called back for a special session, it is possible that it could get added to the list of bills to be considered. Originally, the bill would have capped the amount of pollution large industries could emit, starting in 2012. It also would have set up a regional market system for polluters to buy or sell credits if they pollute more or less than their limit. The bill that passed the Senate a month ago only directed the state to study the issue more and look at other ways to curb emissions, reporting back to the Legislature next year.

The bill passed by the House on April 15 took steps toward curbing greenhouse gas emissions, but the bill neither limits pollution nor sets up a trade system. It did direct the state to work with the Western Climate Initiative to influence any federal program.

Section 9 of the House version would have required regional transportation planning organizations with at least one county with a population greater than 245,000 to adopt a regional transportation plan that implements the goals to reduce annual per capita vehicle miles traveled. The Department of Ecology and the Washington State Department of Transportation were to convene a stakeholder group (of which cities would be a member) for the purposes of continuing the work of the Transportation Implementation Working Group and report to the Legislature by September 30, 2010.

The bill would have also required the state's only coal-fired power plant, in Centralia, to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least half by 2025. In addition, the bill would have required the Office of the Governor to develop a project for the electrification of the West Coast Interstate and associated metropolitan centers. It would also authorize an alternative fuels corridor pilot project capable of supporting electric vehicle charging, battery exchange technologies, and providing alternative fuel distribution. Should the bill come up for consideration during a special session, the two chambers will need to reconcile these differences.

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