SEATTLE — Washington drivers are still paying the highest prices to fill their tanks in the entire country. Now, 43 state lawmakers called on Washington State’s Department of Ecology to step in and help bring prices down.
“This gas is a little much. I’ve seen it some places where the gas is more than five dollars, almost six dollars,” said Carla Anderson while filling her tank in Seattle.
According to AAA, the average cost of gas in the state is $4.95 per gallon. GasBuddy reports that Washington has the highest prices in the country, slightly more than California.
“We needed to intervene now because you can see the escalation and the impact, or the pain at the pump that we're seeing. Why wait?” said Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview.
Wilson is one of 43 state lawmakers who signed a letter urging the Department of Ecology to ease new climate regulations.
Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, wrote the letter recommending eight rule changes to the state’s cap and invest program.
The program requires companies to pay for how much carbon they release. It creates a limited number of carbon permits to be auctioned at least four times a year. The bill passed in 2021, but the first two auctions weren’t until recently.
Gildon said the cost of a carbon credit was triple the estimated price in the latest auction. He said there are actions the Department of Ecology can take now before the next auction in August.
“The legislature is not going to be in session until January, but we owe it to our constituents to think creatively about these problems and try to help them out,” said Gildon.
“These companies that are accused of price gouging, listen, we're the ones that set this stage. It was the Washington State Legislature that made this clear path that was going to increase the cost of fuel,” Wilson said.
Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-White Center, said climate policies impact fuel costs, but said the amount is debatable. The money the state receives from the program is set to go towards environmental-related programs.
“What we’re trying to do in Washington state is decarbonize. We’re seeing record levels of heat across the world, we’re seeing droughts, wildfires, we’re experiencing wildfire smoke even here locally as well,” said Nguyen.
Nguyen said the program incentivizes companies to reduce emissions.
“If they invest in their infrastructure and they invest in decarbonizing and stop polluting they won't have to pay a dime,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen is now looking toward a policy similar to California’s taking aim at oil companies' profits by proposing an oversight board to review fuel costs and prices.
“In terms of legislation around fuel cost and prices one of the things we're missing is radical transparency. We don't know how much oil companies make in Washington state and we don't know how they choose to offset some of their cost associated with this,” Nguyen said.
Wilson and Gildon also called for the state to honor an exemption for agriculture and maritime industries.