Clean-energy transportation bills spark industry debate

Democrats in the state Legislature are backing bills aimed at reducing carbon emissions and pollutants put into the atmosphere by transportation fuels with the goal of achieving a 95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by the year 2050.

One of the co-sponsors, Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-White Center, said Senate bills 5412 and 6272 would allow the Department of Ecology to put rules into place that limit the use of dirty and carbon-emitting fuels and set new objectives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Nguyen said the limit on traditional kinds of fuels will inspire the innovat...