wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 2150 > Original Bill
The legislature finds that Washington state has enacted numerous greenhouse gas emissions reduction policies in recent years, including programs that impose substantial compliance costs on consumers, businesses, utilities, fuel suppliers, and local governments. These policies have contributed to significant increases in energy costs, including higher electricity rates and fuel prices borne directly by Washington households and employers.
The legislature further finds that accountability and transparency are essential to ensuring that state climate policies are both effective and fiscally responsible. The statutory framework governing Washington's climate laws requires the department of ecology to produce a comprehensive, science-based greenhouse gas emissions inventory, and to update that inventory on a regular schedule so that policymakers and the public may evaluate whether emissions reduction policies are achieving their intended outcomes.
The legislature finds that, despite these clear statutory obligations, the department of ecology has failed to produce the required inventory in a timely manner, resulting in a multiyear delay. This delay has been the subject of substantial public concern and litigation seeking to compel the state to comply with existing law. The public currently lacks reliable information necessary to determine whether Washington's high-cost emissions reduction policies are reducing emissions, and policymakers lack the data required to measure cost-effectiveness or make evidence-based adjustments.
The legislature finds that effective public policy must be grounded in timely, accurate, and transparent data. Without the greenhouse gas emissions inventory, the public cannot evaluate whether the costs imposed through utility bills, transportation fuels, and other sectors are resulting in measurable emissions reductions, nor can the state assess whether regulatory approaches are working as intended or require modification.
Therefore, the legislature intends to restore public trust and ensure accountability by requiring the state to publish a complete greenhouse gas emissions inventory and update it on a quarterly basis beginning January 1, 2027. The legislature further intends that certain statewide greenhouse gas emissions reduction policies that impose costs on Washington consumers or businesses shall be of no further force or effect if the state fails to produce such inventory updates. Publication of greenhouse gas emissions inventories on the required timelines is essential to ensuring that the public receives timely and transparent evidence that state-imposed costs are producing the emissions reductions promised by law.
It is the intent of the legislature that climate policy in Washington be data-driven, transparent, cost-effective, and accountable to those who ultimately bear its financial burden. The people of Washington deserve clear and timely information demonstrating whether the policies they are paying for are reducing emissions, and that information must be made public as a condition of continuing to enforce high-cost regulatory programs.
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The state shall limit anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases to achieve the following emission reductions for Washington state:
By 2020, reduce overall emissions of greenhouse gases in the state to 1990 levels, or 90,500,000 metric tons;
By 2030, reduce overall emissions of greenhouse gases in the state to 50,000,000 metric tons, or 45 percent below 1990 levels;
By 2040, reduce overall emissions of greenhouse gases in the state to 27,000,000 metric tons, or 70 percent below 1990 levels;
By 2050, reduce overall emissions of greenhouse gases in the state to 5,000,000 metric tons, or 95 percent below 1990 levels.
By December 1, 2008, the department shall submit a greenhouse gas reduction plan for review and approval to the legislature, describing those actions necessary to achieve the emission reductions in (a) of this subsection by using existing statutory authority and any additional authority granted by the legislature. Actions taken using existing statutory authority may proceed prior to approval of the greenhouse gas reduction plan.
In addition to the emissions limits specified in (a) of this subsection, the state shall also achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Except where explicitly stated otherwise, nothing in chapter 14, Laws of 2008 limits any state agency authorities as they existed prior to June 12, 2008.
Consistent with this directive, the department shall take the following actions:
Develop and implement a system for monitoring and reporting emissions of greenhouse gases as required under RCW 70A.15.2200; and
Track progress toward meeting the emission reductions established in this subsection, including the results from policies currently in effect that have been previously adopted by the state and policies adopted in the future, and report on that progress. Progress reporting should include statewide emissions as well as emissions from key sectors of the economy including, but not limited to, electricity, transportation, buildings, manufacturing, and agriculture.
Nothing in this section creates any new or additional regulatory authority for any state agency as they existed prior to January 1, 2019.
The department and the department of commerce shall post and maintain on the department's website and report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the senate and house of representatives the total emissions of greenhouse gases for the preceding two years, updated on a quarterly basis, and totals in each major source sector, including emissions associated with leaked gas identified by the utilities and transportation commission under RCW 81.88.160. The report must include greenhouse gas emissions from wildfires, developed in consultation with the department of natural resources. The department shall ensure the reporting rules adopted under RCW 70A.15.2200 allow it to develop a comprehensive inventory of emissions of greenhouse gases from all significant sectors of the Washington economy. The report required under this section must be completed by December 31st of each even-numbered year through 2026, and must be completed on a quarterly basis by March 31st, June 30th, September 30th, and December 31st of each year beginning in 2027. Each quarterly update published by the department must catalog the total emissions of greenhouse gases through the calendar quarter that ended exactly one year prior to the quarterly update.
Except for purposes of reporting, emissions of carbon dioxide from industrial combustion of biomass in the form of fuel wood, wood waste, wood by-products, and wood residuals shall not be considered a greenhouse gas as long as the region's silvicultural sequestration capacity is maintained or increased.
Effective immediately upon a failure by the department and the department of commerce to publish a quarterly report on greenhouse gas emissions as required under RCW 70A.45.020, the department must cease implementation, administration, and enforcement of zero emission vehicle program requirements under this chapter.
Effective immediately upon a failure by the department and the department of commerce to publish a quarterly report on greenhouse gas emissions as required under RCW 70A.45.020, the department must cease implementation, administration, and enforcement of the programs and standards authorized under this chapter, including the refrigerant management program authorized in RCW 70A.60.030 and the requirements and standards under RCW 70A.60.020, 70A.60.060, 70A.60.070, 70A.60.080, 70A.60.090, 70A.60.100, and 70A.60.120.
Effective immediately upon a failure by the department and the department of commerce to publish a quarterly report on greenhouse gas emissions as required under RCW 70A.45.020, the department must cease implementation, administration, and enforcement of the cap and invest program authorized under this chapter.
Effective immediately upon a failure by the department and the department of commerce to publish a quarterly report on greenhouse gas emissions as required under RCW 70A.45.020, the department must cease implementation, administration, and enforcement of the clean fuels program authorized under this chapter.
Effective immediately upon a failure by the department and the department of commerce to publish a quarterly report on greenhouse gas emissions as required under RCW 70A.45.020, the department must cease implementation, administration, and enforcement of the requirements of this chapter, including the standards established in RCW 19.405.030 and 19.405.040.
Effective immediately upon a failure by the department and the department of commerce to publish a quarterly report on greenhouse gas emissions as required under RCW 70A.45.020:
The department must cease implementation, administration, and enforcement of the energy performance standards for covered buildings under this chapter, including RCW 19.27A.200 through 19.27A.260; and
The department and local governments must cease implementation, administration, and enforcement of the state energy code adopted under this chapter, and the department and local governments must instead apply the most recent version of the international energy conservation code.