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City officials say Climate Commitment Act will require choices for municipal gas utility as costs rise
Summary
City Administrator Chris Searcy told the council the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) already applies to the municipal gas utility and could push compliance costs into the hundreds of thousands or more annually; staff asked council for policy guidance and plans to return in May with follow-up information.
City Administrator Chris Searcy told the City of Enumclaw council on March 9 that the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), Washington's cap‑and‑invest program, already applies to the city's natural gas utility and will require the city to make policy choices to limit future costs.
"It is the law. We must comply with it," Searcy said during a presentation meant to inform new council members. He said the utility's average emissions for 2023–25 were "a little over 25,000 metric tons," which narrowly places the municipal utility above the CCA's coverage threshold.
Why it matters: being a "covered entity" under the CCA means the utility must obtain carbon allowances equal to its emissions and may need to buy allowances at quarterly Department of Ecology auctions. Searcy explained that the city initially received substantial no‑cost allowances but…
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