Perhaps Inslee has forgotten that people outside of Olympia have read his own report?

As documented by KIRO Radio in Seattle, and MyNorthwest.com,  Gov. Inslee has struck back against published reports indicating he's planning to implement costly low-carbon fuel standards next year, that could raise gas prices as much as $1.17 a gallon.

Last fall,  Inslee commissioned the Climate and Legislative Executive Workshop or CLEW, who's job was to "prepare an evaluation of approaches to reduce greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions in Washington state"  - his own words.

The report, issued October 14th, 2013,  includes a wide variety of data, reports and information.  Inslee's own consultant even concurred that the policies recommended in the report could greatly raise gas prices for us at the pump.

Inslee's office accused ShiftWA and the GOP of spinning the data their own way to create this scenario.    He said:

“The $1+ cost estimate has already been debunked by the exact same consultants the Republicans claim to get the number from… That’s because there are a million different ways to design a clean fuel standard that would result in wildly different cost variables…”

But ShiftWA and other critics are not letting him off the hook so easily.  They point to the actual language contained in the report, and in his recommended plan of action.

ShiftWA and other critics say Inslee's CLEW report has already chewed through those variables.  According to the study,  the clean fuel standard that could most effectively and logistically implemented would result in gas going up at least $1.17 per gallon.    $1.17 is the lowest of the potential price hikes contained in the report, the most conservative.

Again, low-carbon fuel standards would require Washington to compete to purchase fuel from California or other locations, because the one refinery in our state (as well as others in the West) are not yet capable of producing fuel with even more ethanol and lower emission standards.

Inslee's plan, which was prepared with the help of two Democratic members of CLEW, outlines five specific steps to be taken to curb greenhouse gasses.  According to ShiftWA:

Inslee’s proposal goes on to outline five programs to be “developed and implemented in Washington.” The first of the proposed programs places a cap on carbon pollution emissions, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) referred to in the CLEW report."

So unless Inslee is denying he commissioned the CLEW group, prepared the report of actions to be taken, and specifically mentions low-carbon fuel standards,  he must have a very short memory - or,  he is upset he's been caught telling Washington citizens one thing, while planning to do another.

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