Gov Jay Inslee sent a letter to members of the Washington State Congressional Delegation today. The governor urged support for H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act.
Inslee said this legislation is an important step toward reasserting American leadership and transitioning the U.S. to a clean energy economy, and that Congress should pass it without delay.
He said, in part, "Indeed, Washington state has continued to lead the way on climate action despite the lack of leadership from Washington, D.C. In the last month, our legislature passed some of the strongest, most ambitious reforms yet, including landmark legislation to transition our state to 100 percent clean energy. Under the bill, our state will phase out all coal-fired power by 2025, achieve a carbonneutral electricity supply by 2030 and transition to a 100 percent clean electricity supply by 2045. Also passed this session were important bills to improve the energy performance of thousands of large buildings in Washington, tackle the growing challenge of super-polluting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), set new energy efficiency standards for more than 17 product categories, and aggressively incentivize electric and zero-emission vehicles in Washington.
"Our state serves as a clear example that leading on climate action goes hand-in-hand with a strong economy. Through policies to promote renewable energy, foster clean energy innovation, support electrification of our transportation sector and more, we’re taking bold action on climate while our economy continues to thrive. Through it all, Washington has been named the best state to do business and the best state in the nation for workers — putting to rest the myth that the U.S. must choose between tackling the climate crisis and growing our economy. Our experience makes clear that there are more jobs in fighting climate change than denying it."
Read the full letter.