Electric keeps money in WA

Drivers in Washington buy three billion gallons of gasoline each year. We spend $6 billion plus to buy it, most of which goes out of state.

By transitioning our cars to electric vehicles, $6 billion could be used to buy Washington goods and services. Why? Because, Washington produces lots of clean, cheap power, much of which we send out of state.

What’s blocking the shift to EV? A big part is that the automakers aren’t making and selling the kinds of cars we want to drive. There is no electric pickup or SUV on the market in Washington, although some other states are already getting them.

What to do about it? Our legislators should pass SB 5811, a bill which will require automakers to sell a minimum percentage of EVs in Washington. Ten other states already have passed the same law, and those states get EV models that we simply don’t get, including the Hyundai Kona, an electric SUV that you can buy in California but not in Washington.

Washington’s economy is going to be a lot stronger by keeping our dollars at home SB 5811 is a big way for us to get there.

Jorgen Rasmussen

Otis Orchards