Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has announced plans to allocate another $941 million toward climate change programs when he formally unveils his supplemental budget on Wednesday.
The proposal, part of what Inslee called his 2024 climate agenda, continues the state's actions to protect Washingtonians from climate change and create clean energy jobs, he said Monday.
Lawmakers will propose their own budget changes during the shortened off-year session that begins Jan. 8. State lawmakers
"We're going to protect our children's lungs by converting diesel buses to electric and by upgrading schools to improve air quality," Inslee said during a press conference on Seattle's Capitol Hill Monday. "We're going to scale our programs to retrofit affordable multifamily housing, so our most vulnerable communities can live comfortably while reducing their utility bills."
He added the proposal, which expands efforts under the Climate Commitment Act of 2021 approved by lawmakers, would accelerate the installation of electric vehicle chargers across the state, enable Native American tribes to switch to electric boats and assist state residents with their electric bills.
The proposed $941 million for environmental programs would be in addition to $2.1 billion already allocated by lawmakers to advance climate and clean energy projects.
Inslee's proposal, which included funding for environmental justice, clean energy and transportation projects, taps the stronger-than-expected
The Legislature passed the Climate Commitment Act in 2021 establishing a market-based program to reduce carbon pollution and achieve the greenhouse gas limits set in state law. The program formally launched on Jan. 1, and the first emissions allowance auction was held on Feb. 28.
The carbon-pricing program, which charges the state's largest emitters of greenhouse gases for pollution their companies produce, has raised more than $1.5 billion from the sale of 31.9 million carbon allowances over three quarterly auctions and two special auctions. A fourth-quarter auction took place last Wednesday, though the results and prices will not be available to the public until later this week.
Inslee also unveiled legislation that would increase transparency over gas prices, pursue connections to the California and Quebec carbon markets and transition Puget Sound Energy out of the gas sector and limit future methane gas use.
The Building Code Council approved last month a near ban on the installation of natural gas or other fossil-fueled appliances in newly constructed homes or office buildings. Barring legal challenges, the rules take effect in March.
The additional funding also would include a one-time $200 credit on residential electricity bills for low- and moderate-income households. Roughly 750,000 households, about one-third of all Washington households, would be eligible for the credit, which would automatically apply to residents already enrolled in low-income energy assistance programs.
The goal is to be mostly carbon-free by 2050, in an effort to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement, which sets out an international framework to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Climate Commitment Act faces a repeal effort from opponents, who say the program is driving up gasoline prices. Opponents have garnered more than 400,000 signatures for a repeal initiative to appear on the November 2024 ballot.
