OLYMPIA, Wash. – Governor Jay Inslee (D) voiced his support for US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules regulating coal and gas plant emissions on Thursday.
The new regulations will require coal and gas plants to restrict their carbon emissions by 90% by 2032 according to the Associated Press.
“With the power sector accounting for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions, addressing pollution and requiring cleaner energy will serve our economy and bring environmental justice to our communities,” Inslee said.
Inslee’s tenure in public life has consistently emphasized environmental issues. The governor briefly ran for president in 2020, centering his messaging on the climate emergency and pushing other candidates to discuss the issue.
The Climate Commitment Act, a 2021 policy requiring the Evergreen State to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95 % by 2050, was the most comprehensive environmental policy signed by the governor. He cited it when applauding the EPA’s new rules.
“These rules help but do not obviate the need for state action on climate. The state’s Climate Commitment Act continues to be the most powerful tool we have in Washington to restrain carbon pollution,” Inslee said.
As Inslee is not seeking reelection or running any other public office, he may have signed the last bill of his career in late March. Given the sweeping regulatory power of the Climate Commitment Act, it will likely be remembered as the most significant ecological policy he ever signed.
