California made headlines this week as Governor Jerry Brown signed a pledge to get all of its electricity from renewable sources by 2045. Clean energy advocates in Washington State say we can do it here too.
The non-profit Climate Solutions released a white paperoutlining Washington’s path to 100% renewable electricity by 2045. The abundance of hydro-electric power here provides a head start. The rest would come through adding wind, solar and renewable gas, as well as storage and improved energy efficiency.
State Senator Kevin Ranker, a Democrat from Orcas Island, says the technology is available and that “a supermajority of our citizens want us to go this way.” He’s been working on legislation with hopes of filing it in the state senate before the next session.
“I’ve spoken with many of my colleagues in the Senate and in the House. And I believe that there’s just tremendous momentum and opportunity right now to make this happen,” Ranker said.
Climate Solutions says this strategy would complement the fee on carbon pollution that they hope voters will pass via Initiative 1631 in the upcoming elections.
