Seattle
The Special Committee on Climate Change met on Nov 29 for the introduction of the Building Emissions Performance Standards. The legislation is proposed by the Mayor, and has been sponsored by Lisa Herbold, as well as by Theresa Mosqueda and Dan Strauss. Council President Juarez spoke in support at the meeting. There were numerous people commenting, all in favor of passing as written. There will be a second meeting on Dec 7 at 9:30am for a committee vote. If it passes, it will be voted on in a full Council meeting the following week on Dec. 12. Reporting from Geekwire, and the Capitol Hill Blog.
State
The State Building Code Council (SBBC) voted to adopt a point-based system that will prevent most fossil fuel use in new buildings. Previously the SBBC had voted to require clean energy in new buildings, but suspended application of the new rules after a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a gas ban in Berkeley California. The new rules are not an outright ban, but give builders choices about how to meet efficiency and clean energy standards that should lead to most buildings being electrified. The Building Industry Association of Washington is opposed to the new rules, and seems likely to sue to challenge the new rules in court. The rules will go into effect March 15, 2024.
Restore Washington turned in signatures for an initiative to the ballot next year to overturn the Climate Commitment Act, our Cap and Invest program passed by the Legislature in 2022. This is part of a suite of initiatives to repeal laws passed by Democrats in the Legislature. If there are enough valid signatures to qualify, as seems likely, the Legislature will have the option to either pass the proposed initiative, pass it with amendments, or put it on the ballot for a general vote.
HB 1110, the middle housing bill passed last year by the State Legislature requires local jurisdictions to update their zoning codes to allow for middle housing in more places. The Dept of Commerce has drawn up a draft of a middle housing ordinance that local communities may use in as an example. Commerce is accepting public comment on this until Dec. 6. Here’s a take on it from the Urbanist: Model Code Missing the Point on Middle Housing.
WashDOT is taking public comment on the update to the Highway System Plan through Dec. 18. They say “WSDOT has developed a new draft HSP that recommends new revenue for state highways over the next 20 years be dedicated first to adequately funding preservation and maintenance, with remaining funds balanced between safety and efficiency strategies and highway expansion projects at a 2:1 ratio. ”
National
The Federal government released the Fifth National Climate Assessment, which “is the US Government’s preeminent report on climate change impacts, risks, and responses. It is a congressionally mandated interagency effort that provides the scientific foundation to support informed decision-making across the United States.” This is the first report that has a chapter on climate justice. The Climate Science on Tap event was a close-up look at the Pacific Northwest chapter, which is a deep dive into how climate change is expected to affect our region.