In Our View: State should lead in clean-energy innovation

Efforts in the Legislature to move Washington toward clean energy should be viewed as an economic and cultural opportunity. Our state can and should seize the mantle of leadership in reducing carbon emissions and creating an economy — or eco-nomy — that cultivates entrepreneurship related to new energy.

The state House of Representatives last week joined the Senate in passing a bill eliminating fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas from the state’s electricity supply by 2045. The measure, Senate Bill 5116, is a centerpiece of Gov. Jay Inslee’s climate agenda. Among Southwest Washington lawmakers in both chambers, it has been supported by Democrats and opposed by Republicans. Because the bill was amended by the House, it returns to the Senate for a vote before possibly being sent to Inslee.

The impetus for the legislation is concern about climate change, which a vast majority of climate scientists believe is exacerbated by human activity and carbon emissions. But even those who deny scientific conclusions should regard carbon reduction as a chance to develop growth industries. Washington has been an innovator in the aerospace and technology industries and is well positioned to do the same for renewable energy.

As a recent “Growing the Green Economy” report from the Association of Washington Cities surmises, “Critical state attributes include: strong public and private sector support responding to climate change; corporate and business leadership with global markets and supply relationships; a supportive culture, political will and strong environmental values; world-class higher education institutions engaged in research and development responding to climate change; and capacity in Internet and communication technology, artificial intelligence and venture capital.”

Those attributes can help make Washington a leader in the development of wind and solar energy to join our abundant hydroelectric power. The region’s hydroelectricity is largely a gift of circumstance; wind and solar energy expansion will depend on foresight and political will.

While critics decry a desire to move toward clean energy as prohibitively expensive, the cost of failing to do so could be even greater. The federal government’s National Climate Assessment predicts that responding to more frequent and more severe natural disasters — the likes of which we already are seeing — could soon cost more than $100 billion a year.

There are legitimate concerns about the cost of removing fossil fuels from the state’s electricity production. Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, said: “I would hate to see Washington state enter into something that makes us less competitive and less effective in the future and puts our resiliency on the line. Because that would be detrimental to all of us.”

Indeed, and Senate Bill 5116 contains provisions that could exempt entities such as Clark Public Utilities. The utility does not have to meet the requirements if the cost of doing so would exceed 5 percent of its annual revenue. Clark Public Utilities receives 60 percent of its electricity from the Bonneville Power Administration and 35 percent from a natural gas plant on Lower River Road.

That will require some changes for the utility, but the timeline is long and the goal is worthy. Rep. Gael Tarleton, D-Seattle, said, “What we are doing is building a different future.”

That future has enormous potential for reducing carbon emissions and for developing innovative industries. Washington should welcome that opportunity.