WSJ: Climate Coercion Meets Washington State Voters
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board has come out in strong support of “two ballot measures [which] would roll back rules that raise energy prices.” They write:
Progressive climate dreams tend to crash and burn when voters are confronted with their real costs. That collision is playing out in Washington state this year in a pair of ballot measures that would repeal extreme climate policies.
I-2066 would strike down large parts of rules designed to cripple natural-gas use by consumers. The first rule by the state Building Code Council in 2023 made it cost-prohibitive to put natural-gas appliances in new buildings. The Building Industry Association of Washington says the rule will raise the cost of a single-family home with gas appliances by $15,000-$20,000.
And later:
Both climate measures reveal the animus of the left to any fossil fuels, even natural gas that is reducing CO2 emissions as it replaces coal. Washington state contributes a mere 1.5% of all U.S. emissions, and the rules would have no effect on the climate. But they would punish Washington residents already hurt by rising prices…. Lawmakers in Olympia are living in an energy fantasy land in which they pretend they can bend the world’s climate at little cost. They’re deceiving the public on both counts. The state’s energy use is likely to double in 20 years, and that probably underestimates demand from artificial intelligence. Voters can send a message about reality by passing both ballot measures.