Opportunities for Industrial Modernization in Washington

RMI's analysis of Washington's emission-intensive, trade-exposed (EITE) industrial sectors indicates that existing and near-term technologies can reduce emissions by 39% by the end of 2034. The report argues that these potential reductions justify updating the state's Cap-and-Invest program after 2034 with sectoral benchmarking and new no-cost allowance reduction schedules to maintain efficiency and equity. To support this transition, RMI provides 18 policy recommendations categorized by focus area—Updating Standards and Regulations, Cap-and-Invest Program Evolution and EITE Treatment, and State Support—and prioritized by urgency.

• Technical analysis shows that Washington's emission-intensive, trade-exposed (EITE) industrial sectors—including those producing paper, food, beverages, steel, aluminum, glass, cement, building materials, airplanes, semiconductors, fertilizer, and transportation fuels—could reduce emissions by 39% by the end of 2034. This reduction is primarily achievable through electrification and energy and material efficiency measures.
• The potential for industrial emission reductions by 2034 and 2050 supports the modification of the Cap-and-Invest program after 2034. Proposed updates include the introduction of sectoral benchmarking and new no-cost allowance reduction schedules to ensure the program remains equitable and efficient while meeting decarbonization targets.
• RMI proposes 18 policy recommendations to assist EITEs in decarbonizing, which are organized into three categories: "Updating Standards and Regulations," "Cap-and-Invest Program Evolution and EITE Treatment," and "State Support." These policies are further prioritized as "Essential," "Recommended," or "Worth Consideration."

APA

Fallurin, J., Jobe, A., Reback, M., Rubin, K., & Sadler, J. (2025). Opportunities for Industrial Modernization in Washington. RMI. https://rmi.org/resources/opportunities-for-industrial-modernization-in-washington/

Chicago

Fallurin, Joe, Allie Jobe, Mia Reback, Kayleigh Rubin, and Jane Sadler. Opportunities for Industrial Modernization in Washington. RMI, 2025. https://rmi.org/resources/opportunities-for-industrial-modernization-in-washington/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fallurin |first1=Joe |last2=Jobe |first2=Allie |last3=Reback |first3=Mia |last4=Rubin |first4=Kayleigh |last5=Sadler |first5=Jane |title=Opportunities for Industrial Modernization in Washington |publisher=RMI |date=30 June 2025 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/opportunities-for-industrial-modernization-in-washington/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fallurin2025opportunities, author = {Fallurin, Joe and Jobe, Allie and Reback, Mia and Rubin, Kayleigh and Sadler, Jane}, title = {{Opportunities for Industrial Modernization in Washington}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/opportunities-for-industrial-modernization-in-washington/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }