2024 Legislative Session
Washington is among a few unique states with commitments and strong laws to address the major sources of pollution including the grid, transportation fuels, and economy wide sectors. Our work now and in the future, will continue to focus on how we reduce emissions and who will benefit in the transition to clean energy.
Notably this session begins against the backdrop of 2023’s headlines that the Climate Commitment Act program generated a total revenue of $2.2 billion. Having the CCA actively working to make polluters pay and help fund clean energy in Washington is an extraordinary win for climate and our communities, but we will still need to ensure these dollars are invested wisely. Ultimately we may need to defend this law from detractors and opponents of climate action.
We're nearly through this short session! Below is the latest on what we've been tracking in 2024.
You can stay updated on all our legislative work by signing up for Washington emails and take action today by clicking here.
Download a copy of our 2024 Washington Legislative Climate Priorities.
CLEAN TRANSPORTATION
100% Clean School Buses (HB 1368) + Budget ($80 M in CCA funding)
*Environmental Priorities Coalition Priority
Research shows that switching to zero-emission school buses improves kids’ health and performance in school by cutting diesel pollution. In tandem with the budget ask ($80 million of Climate Commitment Act revenue), this bill would set Washington on a pathway to 100% clean school buses and would accelerate the process by requiring new bus purchases to be zero-emission starting when the cost to own and operate a zero-emission bus is the same or less than a polluting bus (cost parity expected within five years or sooner).
The bill passed the House and Senate, After a final House concurrence vote, the bill is expected to head to the Governor's desk for his signature.
2024 BUDGET PRIORITIES
Continuing to invest the Climate Commitment Act revenue wisely: 100% Clean School Buses and Clean Multi-family Housing
Typically, a short session means less budget-focused work, as the biennial budget is set in long (odd-year) sessions. Ongoing revenue from the Climate Commitment Act revenue means there are additional funds to invest in climate priorities in the supplemental 2024 budget.
Multifamily Housing Decarbonization Program ($100M Operating Budget):
Low-income residents are the least able to transition off of gas, and for tenants of affordable, multi-family housing (MFH) it is largely up to building owners to transition to electric and efficient homes and appliances. Climate and clean building advocates are asking the Legislature to invest $100 million in affordable MFH housing incentives for energy efficiency upgrades and electrification retrofits (also currently in the Governor’s budget). This funding should be flexible and include outreach, planning, and technical assistance.
100% Clean School Buses ($80M Capital or Operating Budget):
We can fund the transition to zero-emission buses, help our schools, and improve our kids' health. Almost all of our 12,000+ school buses in Washington currently run on diesel, and diesel pollution causes cancer, contributes to lung and other chronic diseases, and triggers asthma attacks. Rep. Senn is leading the ask for $80 million to meet the need and growing demand for clean buses and ensure all kids can get a healthy and safe ride to school. This budget ask, as well as the accompanying legislation to mandate the transition, are a 2024 Environmental Priorities Coalition Priority.
NAVIGATING BUILDING ELECTRIFICATION BENEFITS & UTILITY PLANNING
Gas Utility Decarbonization (HB 1589)
This bill will ensure that PSE (our largest gas and electric utility) plans for the transition to clean energy, makes significant new programs available to help folks transition off of fossil gas, and creates opportunities for low-income people to access the clean energy transition. HB 1589 will require PSE to proactively plan to meet statutory requirements to decarbonize its system. Without this bill, PSE may continue planning its gas system to be reliant on fossil fuels indefinitely, resulting in stranded assets and higher costs for customers.
Legislators in both houses passed this bill and reached concurrence. The bill is headed to Gov. Inslee for his signature.
Clean Buildings Navigator Bill (HB 1391)
With significant new clean energy incentives coming to Washingtonians from federal investments and the Climate Commitment Act, it is critical that the incentives are accessible and understandable, and that there is significant community outreach and input. This bill would create a one-stop shop and outreach campaign to do just that.
This bill passed the House 58-39 but died in the Senate; its key provisions may be incorporated as a budget proviso.
Thermal energy networks (HB 2131)
This bill would allow gas and electric utilities to explore the option to establish and operate thermal energy networks (also called TENS or networked geothermal), which are systems that can operate at a neighborhood scale to link together the energy systems for different buildings, distributing waste heat and energy throughout them using ground-source heat pumps. Thermal energy networks would allow customers to access the benefits of ground-source heat pumps (which are more efficient than air-source, and also can be more stable in colder climates) at lower cost, and also provide a way for gas utilities and their workforce to decarbonize, since TENS involve a system of water pipes that are fairly similar to gas pipelines. The bill would also establish a program for gas utilities to apply for Commerce grants to develop a pilot in their existing service territory.
The bill has passed both the House and Senate.
Washington State Government
by Climate Solutions on
The heat in Olympia is now on the Senate, as the House passes a Clean Fuel Standard for the third year in a row.
by Jonathan Lawson on
This webinar focused on opportunities at the national, tribal and state levels in 2021. With Don Sampson (Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians),…
by Vlad Gutman-Britten on
Climate Solutions' approach to the Climate Commitment Act, Governor Inslee’s proposed cap-and-invest system, and other systems like it
by Climate Solutions on
Prepared testimony supporting HB 1099, revising Washington's Growth Management Act to consider climate response in long-term regional planning
by Jonathan Lawson on
Washington's legislative session begins. So does the Biden administration.
by Leah Missik on
Right now, Washington is a lonely outlier on the West coast: the only state that is not benefiting from a Clean Fuel Standard.
by Vlad Gutman-Britten on
Naysayers will claim that this is not the time for climate action in Washington, not with COVID, racial injustice, and economic recovery on the…
by Jonathan Lawson on
Biden's climate picks bring experience, grit and a focus on environmental justice. Plus: Who the gas industry is targeting now, and climate book…
by Deepa Sivarajan on
So far our blog series on clean, all-electric buildings has shown how we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and improve our health and safety,…
by Stephanie Noren on
After you vote... join our conversation with Transportation Choices Coalition and Front & Centered to talk about what's next for climate action…
by Climate Solutions on
WA's Supreme Court strikes down controversial initiative that threatened transportation improvements and investments across the state
by Jonathan Lee on
One of the strongest ways to address the climate crisis head-on is with your vote.
by Gregg Small on
Our climate movement is more unified than ever, but we're reaching a critical point where we must change a lot of things all at once. Let's do this…
by Jonathan Lee on
If you live west of the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest, you likely woke up yesterday to an awful late-summer surprise (if you weren't under…
Give for a brighter future
Defending our Climate Commitments
Connect
Join our email list to learn about what we do and how to get involved.