Rep. Deb. Manjarrez: Are Washington’s climate laws working? You pay for them, so let’s find out.
Clean air and water, a pristine and beautiful environment. Everyone wants that for the state they live in, especially in Washington. Few states can claim the diverse beauty we see in our state, with the shores of the Pacific Ocean and Puget Sound, the beautiful Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, stretching to the golden wheat fields of the Palouse.
In an effort to keep our air and environment clean, Washington lawmakers have passed some of the most stringent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction policies in the nation, but are these programs achieving the emissions reductions they promise, and at what cost to Washington taxpayers? With many Washingtonians struggling with affordability issues, it is time for some much-needed transparency and accountability for our GHG policies.
Current law requires the Department of Ecology (DOE) to report on the greenhouse gas emissions of every sector of Washington’s economy for the preceding two years by the end of each even-numbered year. The problem is that, as we begin 2026, the most recent data the department has reported only covers emissions through 2021. This should matter to the public because expensive policies like the Climate Commitment Act, the Clean Fuel Standard, and new building energy codes have been adopted since then. Without an up-to-date inventory, no one knows if the additional costs we are paying are reducing emissions.
I have sponsored legislation for the 2026 legislative session that will finally put some teeth into the reporting laws. House Bill 2150 would require DOE to publish a complete greenhouse gas emissions inventory beginning on Jan. 1, 2027, and to update it quarterly.
If the state agencies are unable to comply, the Zero Emission Vehicle program, the hydrofluorocarbon and refrigerant standards and programs, the Climate Commitment Act, the Clean Fuels Program, the Clean Energy Transformation Act, and the building energy use performance standards would be permanently suspended.
The programs cost taxpayers a lot of money to administer, and they cost businesses a lot of money to comply with. They may be well-intentioned regulations, but good intentions do not guarantee results. It is time to quantify the effect the programs are having on the environment and compare that effectiveness to the impact on Washington taxpayers. They deserve to see the return on investment of these high-cost regulatory climate programs if they are footing the bill.
Our citizens are struggling through an affordability crisis. Washington is the third most expensive state in which to reside. Our cap-and-trade program is increasing the cost of fuel, food, goods and services, and driving up energy costs. The average Washington household is paying $414 more per year for electricity than it was in 2022. Road users are paying 50 cents per gallon of gas and 66 cents per gallon of diesel. It doesn’t fit well with the record-breaking taxes we saw last session and living in the fourth most expensive state to purchase a house.
The CCA revenue has been $518 million higher than the Department of Ecology’s forecast earlier this year, and $690 million higher than the revenue assumed by legislative budget writers last session. That kind of taxpayer money is coming into state coffers, but under the current reporting requirements, we do not know if carbon emissions are being reduced at a measurable level.
My legislation does not require an audit of the climate programs. It only requires a big picture inventory of whether our emissions are being reduced. The state has an opportunity to be upfront about the impact of our emissions programs, especially if they are negatively affecting our citizens’ livelihoods. Trust goes a long way in climate policy.
We all care about the environment and want to ensure Washington state keeps its beauty for generations. However, there must be transparency and accountability regarding our state’s climate programs as we make Washington an affordable place to live, work, and raise a family. There will be no one left in Washington to enjoy its diverse beauty if citizens cannot afford to stay here.
