Lily Haight

lhaight@ptleader.com

While Initiative 1631 failed statewide last week, Jefferson County was one of three counties to vote yes.

Had it passed, I-1631 would have enacted a carbon emissions fee of $15 per metric ton beginning Jan. 1, 2020, and it would have increased by $2 annually until the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals are met. The revenue from the fee would have been used to fund various programs related to the environment.

“It is interesting that the three counties that voted yes on I-1631 all have salt water shorelines,” said Jefferson County PUD Commissioner Jeff Randall, who supported the initiative. “The issue of rising seas is very much in our awareness and threatens our children’s futures. I think the way people vote depends upon the information they are provided.”

Statewide, there were 1,484,543 votes against the initiative, 56.07 percent. There were 1,163,279 votes in favor of the initiative, 43.93 percent.

In Jefferson County, 11,531 voted for I-1631, 56.67 percent, while 8,816 voted against (43.33 percent). King and San Juan counties were the other two where the initiative had favorable results.

Much of the campaign against I-1631 was funded by oil companies. According to the state Public Disclosure Commission, the “No on 1631” campaign received more than $31 million in cash contributions. The highest contribution, a total of nearly $13 million, came from BP America. The next highest contributions came from Phillips 66 and Andeavor. 

The last statewide carbon-tax measure was I-732 in 2016. It failed both in Jefferson County and statewide. 

The Clean Air Clean Energy campaign raised about $15 million in cash contributions, according to the PDC. Locally, members of the Port Townsend Indivisible Environmental Team hit the streets to canvass for I-1631.

“The support for the initiative in Port Townsend was terrific,” said Marilyn Friedrich, a member of the Environmental Team. “Most of us had never canvassed or phone banked before, but felt it was a positive experience.”

Some Jefferson County business owners and activists hope to continue to work toward renewable energy.

“I see it as a missed opportunity to ramp up renewable energies,” said Hans Frederickson of Frederickson Electric. “But here in Jefferson County, things are progressing a lot faster. We have the highest solar per capita in the state. There is a lot more awareness and concern for the future of energy.”

Frederickson said one of the biggest issues that could be addressed here is moving to electric vehicles. 

“With the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report highlighting the urgency to reduce greenhouse gases by 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5 (degrees) Celsius, and the importance of limiting warming to that level, it is more important than ever that all of us in Jefferson County take significant action to reduce our personal greenhouse gas emissions as well as that of our workplaces,” said Cindy Jayne, steering council member of the Local 20/20, an all-volunteer grassroots organization dedicated to fighting climate change.

For members of Port Townsend Indivisible, the I-1631 defeat was disheartening, but they aren’t giving up.

“We are disappointed that 1631 did not pass, but that will not stop us from fighting for climate-change issues,” Friedrich said. “The state Legislature reconvenes in January, and we’ll be there with our signs and will be pressing our legislators for action.”