Keep the Carbon Commitment Act: Vote No on Initiative-2117
On October 18th the Seattle Times ran a detailed article on what would result were Initiative 2117 to pass (WA’s carbon market pumps billions of dollars to state projects. What happens if it vanishes? | The Seattle Times). Passage of 2117 would repeal the Climate Commitment Act of 2021.This newsletter’s September issue (Sept24Flyer.pdf (squarespace.com)) gives the background on the initiative whose defeat is a high priority for Audubon Washington. Why? The cap-and-invest program which the act established is the best tool Washington State has to quickly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the causes and effects of climate change. National Audubon research has identified climate change as the number one threat to bird populations. Consequently, advocating for addressing climate change has long been a major, nationwide priority for the organization of which Skagit Audubon is part.
Over 500 organizations, companies, Tribes, and unions are supporting the “No on 2117” campaign. When you read this newsletter, there may still be time to help get out the word. Go to the campaign website (Vote NO on Initiative 2117 | Home (no2117.com)) and click on “Get Involved” at the top of the page if you would like to help.
Some background from last month’s newsletter:
The Department of Ecology’s website states,
“In 2021, the Washington Legislature passed the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), which establishes a comprehensive, market-based program to reduce carbon pollution and achieve the greenhouse gas limits set in state law… The cap-and-invest program sets a limit, or cap, on overall carbon emissions in the state and requires businesses to obtain allowances equal to their covered greenhouse gas emissions. These allowances can be obtained through quarterly auctions hosted by Ecology, or bought and sold on a secondary market (just like stocks and bonds).” (Cap-and-Invest - Washington State Department of Ecology)
Other legislation has committed Washington to reducing carbon emissions by 95% by 2050. The CCA, with its incentive for the largest carbon emitters to progressively reduce those emissions, is the major tool for achieving the mandated reduction. This market-based program generates revenue that is funding projects across Washington to address the many impacts of climate change and further reduce emissions.
Last year a wealthy California transplant to the Sammamish Valley spent six million dollars paying signature gatherers to collect enough names to bring six initiatives to the legislature. During this year’s session, the legislature passed three of those initiatives but decided not to act on the remaining three. Those three plus another sponsored by the same individual are on the ballot. One initiative deals with the state’s long-term care program, another would repeal the capital gains tax which applies only to about 4,000 of Washington’s wealthiest, and the third, Initiative 2117, would repeal the Climate Commitment Act (Initiative 2117.pdf (wa.gov)). The fourth initiative would block policies now in place to move Washington away from dependence on gas (methane) for home heating and appliances
The idea that the CCA has forced petroleum companies, already reaping record profits, to raise gasoline prices has been the subject of many news reports. Wherever the truth lies, the reality of human-caused climate change urgently requires action even if it means paying a bit more for fossil fuels while they are still in use. And there is no guarantee that repealing the CCA will lower gasoline prices, only that it will slow the transition away from fossil fuels and exacerbate climate change.
CCA-generated revenue funds projects across Washington to address climate change and its effects. For an overview of what repealing the CCA would mean, see https://no2117.com/the-costs-of-i-2117/. For a map of CCA-funded projects: Home – Risk of Repeal (cleanprosperousinstitute.org) (Projects in Skagit County: Skagit County.pdf - Google Drive).
Updating of City and County Comprehensive Plans
Continuing step by step with the mandated update of Skagit County’s Comprehensive Plan, the Planning & Development Services Department is now accepting comments on the plan’s new Climate Element. Washington House Bill (HB) 1181, passed in 2023, requires that Comprehensive Plans (mandated by the Growth Management Act) address climate change and resilience either as a separate plan element or by integration into existing elements. The plan must include measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to provide for resilience to the effects of climate change, such as sea level rise and increased flooding. The draft of this new plan element is available for public comment through November 22nd. For information about the Comprehensive Plan revision and the new element, go to: https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/PlanningAndPermit/2025CPA.htm Scroll down to the October section for a link to the Climate Element and further down for instructions on commenting.
Battery Energy Storage Systems in the Skagit
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are typically facilities using large lithium-ion batteries to store electricity when the power grid has energy in excess of need and then to boost the supply when demand exceeds supply. As electricity comes increasingly from sources such as wind and solar, BESS are needed to provide power when the wind isn’t blowing, or the sun isn’t shining. Two such facilities are currently proposed for Skagit County, one of which has aroused controversy due to its proposed siting on land zoned agricultural adjacent to salmon-bearing Hansen Creek and a residential community. Skagit Audubon’s letter opposing that siting just east of Sedro-Woolley is on the chapter website. The Skagit County Commissioners have issued a 6-month renewable ban on accepting permit applications for new electrical energy generation or storage on land zoned agricultural. BESS facilities are needed for moving beyond fossil fuels, but the siting must be done carefully, just as with commercial-scale solar and wind facilities. Skagit County needs to be proactive by planning for where siting such facilities would be acceptable rather than waiting for developers to file for permits with no advance guidance.
State Wildlife Action Plan Survey
See the Conservation Report in this newsletter’s September issue for information about the State Wildlife Action Plan, its importance, and the revision now underway. Please contribute to this revision by participating in Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife’s on-line survey, open through November 15, 2024. Go to https://publicinput.com/x4675 and scroll down.
For information on other conservation issues Skagit Audubon is following, please go to the Conservation Notes on the chapter website at https://www.skagitaudubon.org/conservation-notes-letters.