Gov. Inslee just got his environmental report from a panel of "experts", and believes numerous steps are needed to curb emissions.  What does that mean?

You have to start back in 2008.  That year, it was still somewhat "trendy" to believe in global warming, climate change etc.   That was before hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars were poured down the sewer by President Obama's stimulus.  Most of the those green companies are now bankrupt.     That year, the Washington state legislature passed a law stating by 2035, carbon emissions in our state must be 25% lower than they were in 1990.

Inslee commissioned a task force to determine which course of action is "best" for Washington state.

Since his election, Inslee has been pushing repeatedly for one of two options, which are laid out in this new report:

1) A carbon tax on coal, natural gas and petroleum (gas for your car is included),  similar to what is being done in British Columbia.   This tax would almost certainly raise gas prices considerably.

2) a cap-and-trade system like California, where businesses are going to have to "trade" pollution credits.  Simply, it's a pollution tax.   It would reportedly force businesses to meet strict environmental standards or literally be taxed out of existence.  This would hurt businesses and industry more than the actual consumer, but costs would be passed along.

Inslee reportedly favors a cap-and-trade system.   According to the Seattle Times,  in order to meet the standards of that 2008 law, the economic effects would be dramatic:

"A state Office of Financial Management analysis indicates that placing a price on carbon emissions, whether through a tax or a cap-and-trade system, would have to soar from $12 a ton in 2015 to more than $170 a ton by 2035 to achieve all the required emission reductions.     That would add an additional $1.47 to the cost of a gallon of gasoline in 2035, and cause a substantial price increase in natural gas, according to the analysis."

What that analysis does not take into effect are what would happen to gas prices almost immediately.   They won't just skyrocket overnight.  Inslee's policy would almost immediately have an impact at the pump.   He is also considering other policies that he claims would help meet the carbon standards, including using an Executive Order to implement costly low-carbon fuels.

Several studies have shown implementing these fuel standards could jump gas prices nearly $1-per-gallon almost immediately.   Washington state doesn't have refinery capability to produce such fuels, nor does Oregon.   We would be dependent upon CA refineries for such gas.

It is believed Inslee will have to use Executive Orders to get much of his agenda passed, because the GOP held it's majority in the state Senate, and gained even more seats in the House.   Even controlling both houses in 2008, then Governor Gregoire failed to get a cap-and-trade bill passed.

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