Gov. Jay Inslee’s supplemental budget plan, coming in at nearly $62 billion, proposes ambitious goals to address climate change. The governor aims to reduce the state’s annual emissions by 6 million metric tons to ensure Washington meets the goals set by the Legislature in 2020.
According to the state Department of Ecology, the greenhouse gas emission limits targets are: 2030 — 45 percent below 1990 levels of 90.5 million metric tons; 2040 — 70 percent below 1990 levels; 2050 — 95 percent below 1990 levels and achieve net zero emissions.
“We have to step up our game” to achieve those goals, Inslee said when unveiling his climate proposals. In a Dec. 17 meeting with The Columbian’s Editorial Board, the governor reiterated the urgency to address climate change, in no small part due to the precarious nature of the state’s iconic salmon runs. “We’ve got to do these now,” Inslee said of his climate plans.
A linchpin in the governor’s climate vision is increasing Washington’s reliance on electricity generated by its enviable hydropower system. But that power grid is not infallible, as this summer’s record-breaking heat wave made only too clear. Thousands of customers faced blackouts, especially in the Spokane area. Clark Public Utilities saw power demand hit 62 percent above normal on June 28, the third and hottest day of the heat wave here. Fortunately for us, Clark Public Utilities was able to adjust to the heightened demand. But the utility said since then that it’s revising its demand forecasts and tightening its schedule of infrastructure upgrades.
And infrastructure upgrades will be needed around Washington to fulfill the governor’s and the Legislature’s climate goals. Inslee doesn’t mince words on this topic, telling the Editorial Board that the state needs more electrical transmission and storage capacity. He says investing in new technologies — such as the $100 million he proposes to enhance solar capabilities — will help advance this goal. “Our budget supports all those things,” Inslee said.
Of course, improving the Pacific Northwest’s power grid largely falls to the federal Bonne-ville Power Administration. To that end, the Biden infrastructure bill that recently received congressional approval includes a provision that will allow BPA to more than double its credit limit, from $7.7 billion to $17.7 billion. The language — added to the bill by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. — will allow BPA to “modernize its aging infrastructure,” according to the Spokesman-Review of Spokane.
It cannot be overstated how crucial this step is. As we’ve editorialized previously, BPA is the bedrock of the Northwest’s electrical power system. It’s vital that it has all the tools that government can reasonably supply so it can update and improve the power grid on which we all rely.
And bear in mind that BPA, according to the Spokesman-Review, has spent $17 billion over four decades on efforts to restore salmon and steelhead runs. Which circles back to Inslee’s climate proposals targeted at saving the state’s 13 salmon runs on the endangered species list. His plans include strategies such as improving riparian foliage along waterways used by salmon to create shade that will lower water temperatures so streams will be more habitable to the endangered fish. “If we don’t have cool water, we don’t have salmon,” Inslee told the Editorial Board.
The climate proposals in Inslee’s supplemental budget will certainly have their critics. Robust debate is fair and reasonable, but let’s be clear: Doing nothing is not an option.
