Washington State linked its carbon market to California and Quebec in June 2026, a move Democrats said would eventually lower gas prices. State Representative Dan Griffey disagrees, arguing the Climate Commitment Act has failed on its promises and that any savings from the linkage won't reach drivers before the next gas tax hike on July 1. Washington's last carbon auction cleared at $64.56 per ton, more than double the California and Quebec price of $28.81. The joint market doesn't begin until 2027. Griffey says rural drivers in his 35th District are paying the price for an experiment that has pushed Washington gas prices roughly $1.40 above the national average, with no realistic transit alternatives available. Griffey also warns that if the linkage reduces carbon credit revenue, the state will face a budget shortfall rather than pass savings to consumers. He calls the program a train wreck that has not delivered the emissions reductions it promised while pricing Washingtonians off a cliff at the pump.
