^{Photo by Karsten Würth on Unsplash}

Benton and Franklin counties have a bright future. We have both the resources and the imperative to transform our region so that we enjoy resilience to climate change impacts, improved human health, and economic vitality while doing our part to reduce the emissions driving global warming.

A 2023 revision to the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) requires Benton and Franklin Counties (along with other more populated counties in the state) to update their comprehensive plans. We must build resilience to at least one climate change hazard and reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions to net zero by 2050.

The resilience requirement necessitates at least one climate resilience goal (and supporting policy) for each climate-exacerbated hazard in our area. The emissions component requires an overall reduction in emissions and per capita vehicle miles traveled. Our counties (Benton and Franklin) and cities (Richland, West Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick) have applied for and received state funding for these updates. 

The new GMA revision also requires the updates to “include at least one advisory committee composed of community volunteers and other stakeholders as its primary advisory committee for the comprehensive plan.” The Benton – Franklin Climate Opportunity Action Team has been formed to serve in that role and help our community reach net zero by 2050.

The Opportunity In Front of Us

The challenges we face are commonly known: solutions to climate change have high upfront costs that pay off in the future. Investments are needed in all sectors of the economy: transportation (charging infrastructure), electric generation (wind, solar, nuclear), building energy conversion, and industry energy conversion. We must build coalitions that support a stable climate. If we can push past our resistance to change and see the available opportunities, our future will be bright indeed.

Our obstacles can be overcome by tapping into the vast available resources. The financial resources will come from the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and the state’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA). We have the skills and infrastructure in this region to effectively use these funds.

Funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) 

The IRA authorizes $411 billion in climate and resilience-related funding from 2023 to 2033. Funding is designated for energy supply: for example, carbon-free electricity production, heating and energy efficiency in housing and commercial buildings, clean manufacturing, as well as clean vehicles and transportation infrastructure (EV charging). Most of the funding is in the form of business tax credits, but there is also an allotment for individual tax credits and grants to tribal, state, and local governments. 

At the household level, IRA rebates cover up to 100% of electrification costs (up to $14,000) for low-income households and 50% for moderate-income households. 

Source: https://drexel.edu/nowak-lab/publications/newsletters/2023/inflation-reduction-act/

Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has dedicated $7.5 billion to expand the network of electric vehicle charging stations, with a goal of 500,000 chargers. It allocates funding for electricity transmission, clean school buses, clean transit buses, bicycle and pedestrian safety, and infrastructure resiliency to droughts, floods, and wildfires.

Funding from the Climate Commitment Act (CCA)

In 2023, the Washington State legislature appropriated $2.1 billion in CCA revenues for the 2023 to 2025 biennium. Of that, almost half of the revenue is for clean transportation. This includes 5000 new public electric vehicle charging stations, support for zero-carbon school buses, commercial vehicles and charging, electrification of trains and ferries, free public transit for youth under 18, bike paths, and safer street crossings. 

A noteworthy portion of CCA revenues are for clean buildings, clean energy, and resiliency measures. Technology and efficiency improvements funded include heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, induction stoves, and energy efficiency subsidies for low-income housing, small businesses, and public buildings. Funding is provided for forest preservation and health, resilience to wildfires, and reducing methane emissions from dairy farms and landfills. In 2024, it appropriated $30 million for a small modular reactor at Hanford.

In addition to the CCA funding, the Washington State Energy Efficiency Grant Program offers $14 million for energy efficiency improvements in public buildings. State and federal funding has already been allocated to implement the Yakima Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan.

What We Can Change

As we have noted, there is considerable state and federal funding available for our net-zero plan. It centers around electrifying and improving the energy efficiency of public and private buildings and homes, purchasing electric vehicles, adding public charging stations, installing community solar energy farms, expanding nuclear energy production, nurturing urban forests, expanding public transit, and adding protected bicycling and walking paths.

Benton and Franklin Counties have a skilled and educated workforce that can be applied to implementing an effective Climate Opportunity Action Plan. Our nuclear engineers and construction crews can expand our nuclear power production. In addition, relaxing urban zoning and minimum parking requirements to increase housing density will reduce vehicle miles traveled, the cost of housing, and our counties’ fossil fuel use and associated emissions of carbon dioxide and toxic pollutants. 

Climate Actions We Can Take

The figure below shows the actions the counties and cities can take to meet the emissions reduction goals and build resilience to climate change impacts.

Since most of our emissions are from transportation, most of the emissions reduction will come from the decarbonization of transportation. Other contributions will come from the electrification of residential and commercial heating. Because electrification of transportation and heating systems is so important, adding carbon-free electricity to our energy system is essential to achieving emissions reduction goals. Benton County is particularly well-positioned to add carbon-free nuclear energy.

The Threat We Face

The greatest climate threat to Benton and Franklin counties is the depletion of mountain snowpack as the climate warms. That will both reduce the irrigation water available from the Yakima Watershed and increase the frequency of wildfires that pollute the air with smoke. The impacts on agriculture and human health are considerable.

To build resilience to climate change, the water storage capacity in the Yakima Watershed can be increased, water conservation can be incentivized, air filtration systems can be subsidized for people sensitive to smoke, buildings can be made resilient to wildfires, and tree planting and care can be encouraged in town.

Benefits

The benefits of such actions include reduced costs of heating and transportation, more electricity available for electrification, more customers at businesses and residents at apartments with charging stations, reduced exposure to toxic pollutants, improved health from active transportation, economic vitality, resilience to wildfires and water shortage, and relief from extreme heat.

The Power of Partnership

To this end, the Benton – Franklin Climate Opportunities Action Team has been reaching out to potential partners in government, utilities, business, media, education, research, and non-governmental organizations to develop and implement a Benton – Franklin Climate Opportunity Action Plan. However, the GMA only requires an update to the counties’ plans. We intend to help implement the plan once updated. We can facilitate by connecting households, businesses, and governments with funding opportunities that help pay for the improvements that reduce operating costs and improve human health as well as reduce emissions.

Meet The Team

The Benton – Franklin Climate Opportunity Action Team is composed of experts from a variety of fields relevant to climate change. They are:

• Steve Ghan, PhD climate scientist and leader, Tri-Cities Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL)
• Jim Wise, PhD, former Richland Planning Commissioner, member of Sustainable Tri-Cities (STC)
• Bill Barlow, MA, retired BFT Transit Manager, President of STC
• Mickey Rogers, PhD climate scientist, CCL volunteer
• Dennis Finn, PhD atmospheric scientist, CCL volunteer
• Michael Kintner-Meyer, PhD electric vehicles and electricity demand
• Lora Rathbone, MS, founding member of STC, CCL volunteer
• Noopur Sharma, PhD climate scientist, CCL volunteer
• Doug Ray, PhD chemist, Board Chair of Carbon Washington 

In the past, Washington State has performed relatively poorly at applying for federal funding. Our team brings experience with proposal writing that we will use to help cities and counties apply for funding. We’ll also work with contractors and car dealers to help consumers get rebates and tax credits for heat pumps and electric vehicles. 

Hope For The Future

With the cheapest electricity in the nation, our region is best able to reduce operating costs by fully electrifying buildings and transportation. Our two counties can be a model for clean energy production, clean heating and transportation, and healthy and walkable communities. Our future is bright indeed — if we seize this opportunity. 

The action plan with references can be read in its entirety at https://tinyurl.com/COAPword.

Resources:

https://www.solarwa.org/solar_incentives

https://www.rewiringamerica.org/ira-fact-sheets

https://www.usgbc.org/resources/overview-ira-tax-incentives-buildings

Climate scientist Steve Ghan leads the Tri-Cities Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby.