OLYMPIA – Rep. Gael Tarleton’s, D-Ballard, bill to create a 100-percent clean energy grid in Washington took an important step forward today, as House Bill 1211 passed out of the House Environment & Energy Committee by a 6-4-1 vote.
“Moving Washington state toward a clean grid this year is an absolute imperative and I am happy this bill has passed out of committee. Climate change is real, it affects everyone, and we are seeing the effects more every day. Setting these milestones now is how we can make meaningful progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Tarleton.
HB 1211 transitions the state energy grid to clean, affordable, and reliable energy sources through a series of steps. Those steps include:
- Requiring utilities to transition away from fossil fuel-generated electricity;
- Setting a no-coal deadline by 2025;
- Setting a carbon-neutral deadline of 2030; and
- Setting a 100% clean grid deadline of 2045.
Tarleton remarked after passage, “A clean energy grid is crucial to our economy. With these milestones, we can make the necessary investments that lead to new jobs that sustain our clean-energy future.”
The legislation moves on to the Finance Committee.
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