Estimated Impacts of the Legislature's Proposed Cost Increases on Fuel

IN THE NEWS

WA gas prices soar to second-highest in nation after rising by 40 cents in a month

Washington’s gas prices are soaring this February. … Washington’s gas tax is now $0.55 gallon and set to go up again in July. Most of the price disparity can be attributed to that and the state’s carbon taxes, which are approximately 40-50 cents per gallon. Certainly a lot more than the “pennies” promised by CCA […]

Washington state’s climate-fighting claim is hot air, officials admit

Washington state officials have issued a correction after they were caught exaggerating the benefits of state spending to curb climate change. Proceeds from the state’s quarterly auctions of carbon dioxide permits are keeping far less pollution out of the air than officials have been claiming. Since the first auction in February 2023, major polluters in […]

Welch: State’s climate act failing to deliver on promises

Democratic lawmakers in Olympia sold the Climate Commitment Act with this promise: higher fuel costs today would mean stronger protection from floods tomorrow. That pledge helped justify what amounts to a hidden tax, now adding roughly 57 cents per gallon to gasoline, pushing the CCA’s effective fuel tax above Washington’s long-standing 52-cent gas tax. But […]

Harger: WA has third-highest gas prices in nation. Now the state admits its climate program data was off by 96x

It takes a lot to shock me anymore. I’ve covered the Washington government for years. I understand rounding errors. I get that numbers shift, estimates change, projections don’t always pan out. That’s bureaucracy. That’s life. What the state quietly admitted Tuesday afternoon is different. WA drivers are paying billions more at the pump. For what, […]

WA carbon market revenue hits $4.3B as prices reach record

Prices in Washington’s carbon market have continued to trend upward as the price of emission allowances reached an all-time high this month. The state held four auctions between September and December and raised just over $1.1 billion by selling over 16 million carbon emission allowances. … Allowances cost $64.30 in the September auction and $70.86 […]

Gas prices drop 21 cents in WA, still 37% higher than national average

Gas prices across Washington have fallen 21 cents per gallon since late October, although WA continues to rank among the top three worst states to fill up your tank. As of Nov. 25, Washington’s average price per gallon is $4.188, which is 37% higher than the national average of $3.055, according to AAA. In the […]

Here’s why Washington’s gas prices keep rising: regulation, taxes, and the CCA

Washington State now has the second highest gas prices in the country, sitting just behind California. This is despite having five refineries located within the state. So why are prices so high? According to State Sen. John Braun (R-Chehalis), the answer lies in a combination of excessive regulation, sky-high gas taxes, and, crucially, the Climate […]

West Coast fuel prices going up as rest of country enjoys reprieve

West Coast fuel prices, already the highest in the Continental U.S., will continue to rise, even as the rest of the country looks forward to gasoline dropping below $3 a gallon, the U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts. … Hawaii sometimes has the most-expensive fuel in the U.S. But on the mainland, California, Washington and Oregon, […]

Washington’s CO2 tax jumps 16% in just three months to about 46 cents per gallon

The Washington State Department of Ecology released the latest CO2 allowance results that set the price of the state’s carbon tax — the price jumped 16 percent in just one quarter. This is equivalent to about an 85 percent inflation rate over a year. … That price equates to about 46 cents per gallon for […]

Make WA’s landmark Climate Commitment Act more accountable

Reducing carbon emissions is the fundamental goal of the state’s vanguard environmental policy known as the Climate Commitment Act. But measuring its success relies upon federal data that’s been taking years to compile and disclose. Results from 2021 were released earlier this month, an unacceptable lag that blinds Washingtonians from accurately assessing whether this consequential […]

Washington drivers feel higher gas prices as carbon costs soar

Carbon prices for air pollution allowances have climbed again, impacting drivers with higher gas prices across the state. The Department of Ecology announced that allowances sold for $50 each at the March auction, a 24% increase from December. According to the Washington State Standard, this latest sale will generate an additional $230 million for the […]

Editorial: Washington’s carbon limits won’t help climate

Those opposed to green schemes that line some pockets and pick other pockets are called “climate deniers” by those who deny reality. Only reality deniers will see in the Washington Department of Ecology’s latest greenhouse gas inventory any sign the state is moving toward complying with its own carbon-reduction law. …. The problem is Washington […]