RePower Washingtonby Various Authors Let's build a clean energy economy, create new green jobs and reduce global warming pollution Two huge challenges—the economic crisis and the climate crisis—share a common solution. By repowering and rebuilding Washington with clean energy, efficient buildings, and transit-oriented communities, we can stimulate our economy while cleaning up the pollution that threatens our way of life. Real climate change solutions are real economic solutions for Washington. We can meet today's challenges and build a healthy, clean-tech economy for our children's future. The following proposals will reduce global warming pollution while we create jobs, grow our economy and build healthy, livable communities.
Cap and Invest *
Efficiency First *
Transit-Oriented Communities * * - denotes 2009 Environmental Priority
Green Jobs
Clean Energy Tax Credits
I-937: The Clean Energy Initiative
Clean Power
Back to Home page. |
By implementing real limits on global warming pollution, we can create new jobs and stimulate the growth of a clean energy economy here in Washington State. This effort implements the cap on climate pollution the Legislature adopted last year. Emitters would pay for pollution permits, and the new revenue would be invested to reduce fossil fuel dependence, create green jobs and spur new clean-tech innovation, while providing assistance to moderate- and low-income households struggling with high energy costs. Through state action, we can reduce global warming pollution in a manner that benefits Washington's economy, protects Washington's interests in the national climate policy debate. and positions us for success in the new clean energy economy.
Promoting energy efficient homes, businesses and public buildings will save money, enhance energy security, and significantly reduce global-warming pollution. Energy efficiency is the cheapest and most immediate way to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and will create thousands of good, family-wage jobs in Washington. This bill will put "efficiency first" by promoting super-efficient; low-energy-use buildings; providing incentives to maximize energy efficiency; requiring energy use information on buildings offered for sale or lease; and making our public buildings models of energy efficiency. This policy will also help to ensure that low-income consumers can cope with rising energy costs.
To power our growing clean energy economy, Washington businesses need trained workers. Thanks to the leadership of the Governor and Legislature, Washington is uniquely positioned to lead the nation in economic recovery by building a new energy economy while creating thousands of family-wage green collar jobs. A small investment by the Legislature will provide the kick start needed to ensure we have workers trained and ready to do the work needed in the new economy. Washington's industries are already reporting a lack of skilled workers to hire – investing $10 million in the Green Jobs Training Program will close this skill gap, put people to work and strengthen our economy. 
Washington's tax incentives to develop clean energy projects -- such as solar, wind and landfill gas -- are set to expire in June 2009 unless the Legislature votes to renew them. These incentives have been critical for the development of new renewable projects in our state, from solar panels on homeowners' roofs to large wind projects in eastern Washington. The wind projects in particular have resulted in significant new economic benefits for both rural counties and the state. Three wind projects completed during 2006 resulted in $1-2 million in annual royalty payments to rural landowners, $2.9-$3.3 million each year in local property tax revenues, 700 jobs during peak construction periods and over 40 permanent family-wage jobs for operation and maintenance. To keep these opportunities growing in our state – and not lose them to Oregon -- we need to extend renewable energy tax incentives at their current level until at least 2015.