Blog

Carbon taxation in the offing?

Apparently some form of carbon taxation could still happen this year, despite the fact that it did not make it into either House or Senate budget proposal. It was a main source of revenue in Gov. Inslee’s proposed budget, but the House proposal would increase revenues in different ways. From Crosscut: House Environment Committee chair […]

New special report: Carbon Taxation

We have posted a new special report on Gov. Inslee's cap and trade proposal (SHB 1314) and Carbon Washington's carbon tax initiative. The brief can be downloaded through this link.

Privatization and comparative advantage

This is a great story on a part of Washington’s economy: The boutique booze boom in Washington. It begins by talking about Westland Distillery’s Emerson Lamb: “It has been our stated goal to put Washington state on the map as the world class place to make single malt whiskey alongside Scotland,” said the 25-year-old Lamb. […]

Agricultural production in Washington valued at over $10 billion

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the value of Washington’s agricultural production was $10.2 billion in 2013. (Up from $9.97 billion in 2012.) This is a new record high. Additionally, “Record high values of production were established for five of the top ten Washington commodities, including milk, potatoes, cattle and calves, grapes, and pears.” […]

Port delays hinder trade

The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma have significant economic impacts for our region. They have apparently been experiencing delays: A work slowdown at the Pacific Northwest’s two largest ports Wednesday began affecting businesses as distant as Chicago as major port terminals stopped accepting export cargoes and cut the pace of imports by half. Fruit growers […]

News from Washington's agricultural economy

I liked this editorial from the Yakima Herald-Republic last week: Grant County apple growth complementary, not competitive. Grant County’s increasing production simply means that business as a while [sic] is expanding, and it further enhances the importance of agriculture in Washington’s economy. Continued success requires the business and political communities to focus on the key […]

Facility permitting and rail investment news

There have been several developments in the oil and coal port world over the past week: A new economic analysis of the proposed Tesoro Savage crude oil loading facility at the Port of Vancouver (Wash.) found that it “could generate an estimated $2 billion in ‘economic value’ to the local and regional economy, and 176 […]

GE labeling, fear, and "consumer choice"

Michael Specter has a good blog post at the New Yorker today — “The Problem with G.M.O. Labels.” He makes some of the same points we made in our report on Initiative 522, which would have required labeling of genetically engineered foods but was rejected by Washington voters last year. (An initiative requiring labeling will […]

The EPA's mine restrictions are of a piece with Washington's expanded SEPA

The Wall Street Journal ran an op-ed last week about the EPA and mine permitting. Daniel McGroarty of the American Resources Policy Network writes, The Environmental Protection Agency last week put forth new restrictions that would essentially block the Pebble Mine, a proposed multi-metal project in the Bristol Bay region of southwest Alaska. For months […]

Crude oil loading facilities and the price of gas

The debate in Washington over transporting oil by railroad could have big impacts on other states. In the course of writing about the expanded SEPA process last month, we mentioned the Tesoro Savage Petroleum proposed crude oil loading facility at the Port of Vancouver. A Reuters story today puts the delays in permitting for this […]