SEATTLE — Washington state has the highest gas prices in the country right now, even surpassing California by a fraction of a cent. The national average for a regular gallon of gas is approximately $3.20, while Washington drivers are paying $1.65 more on average.
So, how did we get here?
State lawmakers agree, there are likely a few causes that have led to this, like supply chain issues. But there are some increases that have been in the hands of lawmakers. For example, in July, the state gas tax went up by six cents per gallon.
Chair of the Washington House Transportation Committee, Rep. Jake Fey (D-Tacoma) said he doesn’t think that gas tax will go down any time soon.
“Those dollars are to take care of projects, investments in the highway system, in the ferry system that are very needed,” said Fey.
But there is another factor at hand: the Climate Commitment Act. That state law went into effect in 2023. Chair of the state GOP, Jim Walsh, said he thinks that is what is driving up costs.
“At some point, it doesn’t matter what party you’re in, the carbon tax scheme is broken, and it either needs to be fixed, or it needs to be repealed,” he said.
“Inarguably, a portion of the cost is the state and federal gas taxes and Climate Commitment Act,” Fey said. “Whether the market chooses to put (more increases) into play will depend on what the marketplace is and what the consumer can bear in terms of cost.”
Fey said while the gas tax or the law may be a portion of the cost, “if someone invades another country, or bombs Iran,” that is a much more substantial effect to the price of gas back here at home.
The Climate Commitment Act aims to reduce carbon emissions in the state. It does that by having fuel companies bid for the allowances of carbon emissions. In the last auction, the state made $440 million from those companies. Walsh believes the cost of being able to do business in the state is ultimately passed on to the consumer. He called the act “broken.”
“Some just want to repeal the carbon tax scheme entirely, and I’m in that camp,” Walsh said.
Is relief imminent?
The short answer is likely, no.
This is not the first time the thought of repealing the act has come up. You might remember a ballot measure to do just that failed last year with 62% of Washingtonians voting to keep it in place.
“It’s clear that the people in the state of Washington want us to continue to go forward on the Climate Commitment Act,” Fey said.
“It fell short, in part, because the state attorney general, who writes the title of initiatives, wrote a confusing title on the initiative and people didn’t know how to vote,” Walsh said.
But Walsh said the question could end up in the hands of the voters again, and that his party might try another initiative.
Walsh said he is hopeful that with “prices going to record levels,” there might be more bipartisan support within the statehouse to at least “incrementally” change the law. An idea top of mind is extending the state constitution’s 18th Amendment to the Climate Commitment Act.
“So, that would mean that the $400 million raised in the last auction would need to be spent on transportation projects, roads, bridges, ferries, and couldn’t be put into the black hole of the general fund, where the money goes who knows where,” Walsh said.
“The Climate Commitment Act, from my perspective, is all about facing up to make changes, to make investments in reducing carbon emissions. Highway projects don’t do that,” Fey said.
Walsh said the GOP plans to introduce several more bills to try to revise the act.
In King County, the price for a gallon of regular unleaded is $4.88, with Snohomish County at $4.68 and Pierce County at $4.72.
Where does the money from the Climate Commitment Act go?
The money made from the emission auctions goes to the state general fund. The general fund is ultimately up to the lawmakers to decide how to spend.
“I know for a fact in the transportation budget, we’re very careful about where we put our money and making sure that we get results for the state of Washington,” Fey said.
Fey said that in his committee, lawmakers focus on using the money for transit projects and on other ways to move people from using fuel products to electric. He said, for example, part of the act allows Washingtonians under 18 to ride all transit, including buses, ferries, and some Amtrak services, for free.
Fey said the hope is that it will help make residents more accustomed to the systems early on.
But Walsh said he is skeptical about the effectiveness of the nearly 3-year-old law.
“There is not alternate infrastructure, there isn’t public transportation or mass transportation in our state available to take on people who need to get to work or the doctor’s office,” Walsh said. “The price of gas and diesel is going up faster and higher than any resulting infrastructure build-outs.”
The legislature comes back to session at the start of 2026.
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