Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation fuels.

Highlights:

• Defines “transportation fuel” as electricity and any liquid or gaseous fuel sold, supplied, offered for sale, or used for the propulsion of a motor vehicle or that is intended for transportation purposes (Sec. 2).

• Requires the department to adopt rules establishing standards for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions per unit of fuel energy (carbon intensity) in transportation fuels used in Washington, according to the following requirements (Sec. 3):

• Greenhouse gas emissions attributable to each unit of the fuels must be 10 percent below 2017 levels by 2028;

• Greenhouse gas emissions attributable to each unit of the fuels must be 20 percent below 2017 levels by 2035; and

• The rules must establish a state date for the clean fuels program no later than January 1, 2021.

• Specifies that electricity and transportation fuels exported from Washington are not subject to the greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirements in this section (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes the department, if deemed necessary, to require transportation fuel suppliers to submit data or information to be used for purposes of calculating greenhouse gas emissions (Sec. 4).

• Requires the department to seek to adopt rules that are harmonized with the regulatory standards, exemptions, reporting obligations, and other clean fuels program compliance requirements of other states that (Sec. 6):

• Have adopted low carbon fuel standards or similar greenhouse gas emissions requirements applicable specifically to transportation fuels; and

• Supply, or have the potential to supply, significant quantities of transportation fuel to Washington markets, or to which Washington supplies, or has the potential to supply, significant quantities of transportation fuel.

• Requires the department to post a report on the department’s web site that includes various data regarding the previous calendar year of clean fuels program activities, beginning May 1, 2023, and each subsequent May 1st (Sec. 9).

• Requires the department of commerce, in consultation with the department and the department of agriculture, to develop a periodic fuel supply forecast for projecting the availability of fuels necessary for compliance with clean fuels program requirements (Sec. 10).

• Authorizes the department to require that persons required or elected to register or report under this act pay a fee, which must be set to equal but not exceed the projected direct and indirect costs to the department for developing and implementing the program (Sec. 11).

• Requires the joint legislative audit and review committee to analyze the impacts of the initial five years of clean fuels program implementation, and to submit a report summarizing the analysis to the legislature, by December 1, 2027 (Sec. 12).

Full Bill Text