WAWG
This week, under direction from Gov. Inslee, the Washington State Department of Ecology released draft language for the new carbon reduction plan for the state. The plan does not directly regulate agriculture, but you can expect it to indirectly raise the the cost of fuel, electricity, food processing and fertilizer in addition to stifling Washington’s economy.
The plan names 70 businesses that will eventually become regulated under this rule, a list that can be found here. Under the rule, businesses must lower emissions by 5 percent every three years until their emissions fall below 70,000 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. Four options are offered to comply with Ecology’s rule:
• Lower emissions;
• Obtain emissions reductions from a regulated Washington company that has exceeded the 5 percent emissions reduction over the three-year period;
• Fund a project that permanently reduces emissions in Washington state; or
• Buy carbon credits from an outside carbon market.
The fourth compliance option allows Washington businesses to purchase carbon credits from California, a unilateral arrangement that invests Washington dollars into California’s economy. Inslee’s rule cannot legally establish a carbon marketplace—that power belongs to the Legislature.
Welcome to the wild west of carbon regulation.
Ecology’s news release about the draft rule can be found on their website.