Climate Commitment Act a two-fer for Washington

By The Herald Editorial Board

Washington state’s Climate Commitment Act, while in effect since 2023, has completed its first full and unfettered year of carbon allowance auctions and climate investments.

The threat of a lawsuit pending before the U.S. Supreme Court and an initiative challenge that threatened the landmark carbon cap-and-invest program proved a drag on its viability and the program’s ability to generate revenue in its first two years.

That has since been lifted by a significant vote of confidence in November 2024’s rejection of Initiative 2117 and the announcement this October by the U.S. Supreme Court, declining to hear appeals of a 2023 District Court and a 2024 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rulings that upheld the CCA.

A quick refresher: The goal behind the Climate Commitment Act is a two-fer, explained Altinay Karasapan, regulatory policy manager for Climate Solutions — a nonprofit advocate for the clean-energy transformation — and point person on the issue of the state’s auctions of allowances for carbon emissions.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-climate-commitment-act-a-two-fer-for-washington/