Senate Transportation Committee will hold public hearing on HB 1110 on March 2, 2020 at 1:30 PM

OLYMPIA, WA — In light of mounting pressure inside the legislature and across Washington State, the multi-year effort to enact a statewide Clean Fuel Standard continues on Monday, March 2 in the Senate Transportation Committee. If enacted, Washington would join California, Oregon, and British Columbia in requiring cleaner transportation fuels that would reduce climate and air pollution, facilitate growth in the electric vehicle and sustainable biofuels markets, and invest in communities most impacted by transportation pollution.

Monday’s hearing follows quick passage out of the Senate Energy Environment & Technology Committee with an amendment aligning the Clean Fuel Standard with much-needed transportation funding, as well as amendments sought by environmental justice groups. The House of Representatives passed HB 1110 with a vote of 52-44.

A recent poll by Elway and Crosscut showed strong public support across the state at 66% in favor of addressing transportation emissions, with other recent polling showing support for passage of a Clean Fuel Standard across all income levels, both rural and urban areas, and even drivers who commute alone. Recent efforts to implement a regional Clean Fuel Standard by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency also attracted wide support across the Agency’s four-county jurisdiction with over 6,000 public comments submitted in favor of a strong rule.

WHERE TO WATCH: Public hearing Monday, March 2, 2020 @ 1:30 PM

A Clean Fuel Standard requires oil producers and refiners to reduce the carbon intensity of gasoline and diesel (20% reduction by 2035) or invest in cleaner fuels by deploying electric vehicles and sustainably-produced biofuels. Washingtonians spend over $9 billion annually on mostly imported gasoline and diesel, while shipping many locally-produced clean fuels to other markets that have Clean Fuel Standard policies in place. Requiring cleaner fuels and electricity for transportation is the baseline for creating pathways toward cleaner transportation options, such as adding electric vehicle infrastructure, exploring electric vehicle car sharing programs, and promoting investments in renewable fuels from our local feedstocks such as agricultural and forest waste.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Stephanie Noren, Clean Fuels Now, 360-580-7885, stephanie.noren@climatesolutions.org             

Nick Abraham, Environmental Priorities Coalition, (206) 833-7021, nick@waconservationaction.org

ABOUT EPC

The Environmental Priorities Coalition (EPC) is a network of over twenty leading environmental groups in Washington State that influences policy at the state level. For over a decade, the EPC has selected joint priority issues to work on during the legislative session to help focus environmental community resources and achieve our shared goals.