California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sept. 23 announced that he has authorized California to move forward with the process of linking its Cap-and-Invest program to Washington State’s carbon market, building on California’s existing partnership with Québec to cut emissions.
The Governor has made the formal findings legally required for California to move ahead with the final step to link the two states’ markets.
California law requires that the Governor make specific findings about a partner state’s carbon market before the California Air Resources Board may proceed with linking markets.
Earlier this month, CARB requested that the Governor make those findings.
On Sept. 23, the Governor announced that, on Monday, September 21, he took action to do so, consistent with advice he received from the Attorney General as required by law.
The Governor’s action allows CARB to begin the public regulatory process needed to formally link the markets — the final step before the markets are formally linked.
"The proposed linkage would create a larger, more stable carbon market to help California continue cutting climate pollution efficiently while supporting investments in cleaner transportation, affordable housing, wildfire resilience, and other community priorities," a news release from Newsom's office said.
