Drivers in Washington state are now paying the highest gas prices in the nation, a direct consequence of the state’s controversial Climate Commitment Act (CCA), a cap-and-trade program passed by Democrats in 2021 and championed by former-Governor Jay Inslee.
According to AAA, the average price of regular gas in Washington hit $4.647 per gallon on Friday, jumping from $4.401 last week and well above last year’s $4.151. That puts Washington ahead of even California ($4.640) and Hawaii ($4.465), long notorious for expensive fuel.
BREAKING: As of Sept 12, 2025, Washington state has the highest average price for regular gasoline in the US at $4.647 per gallon.
The national average is $3.188
This is specifically due to the Climate Commitment Act championed by Democrats, which spiked gas prices pic.twitter.com/xOM07vY3hf
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) September 12, 2025
Cap-and-Trade Cash Grab
The Climate Commitment Act took effect in January 2023, forcing companies to buy “emissions allowances” for their greenhouse gas output. The Department of Ecology holds quarterly auctions, which have so far raked in nearly $3.5 billion in new revenue for the state.
Democrats marketed the program as a climate solution to reduce emissions and fund green projects. But the cost is being pushed onto families and businesses at the pump, making Washington gas the most expensive in America. While Inslee promised the program would cost “pennies,” it spiked regular unleaded prices to over $5 a gallon in Seattle.
“Washington has the highest gas prices in the entire US. Every time you fill up, take a picture of your receipt, post it online, and say: Make sure you thank Jay Inslee & Bob Ferguson.”
We’re now higher than California & Hawaii thanks to the Democrats' Climate Commitment Act. pic.twitter.com/TaoUf4DiKa
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) September 15, 2025
Critics argue the program was designed this way — to intentionally inflate fuel prices in the name of discouraging consumption. “It’s a hidden gas tax with a different label,” opponents say, and one that has done little to prove its effectiveness in actually lowering emissions.
Recent studies have shown that over 90% of the money is going to non-profits and programs that aren’t doing anything to combat climate change.
Prices Surge Beyond Expectations
According to the Center Square, at the September 3 auction, allowance prices ran so high they triggered a special sale under state law to contain runaway costs. More auctions are scheduled, including an Oct. 1 reserve auction and another on Nov. 12, with prices set at $60.43 per allowance. The final auction of the year will be held Dec. 3, just weeks after the November compliance deadline.
These moves may soften the blow for large emitters, but ordinary drivers are left footing the bill — without any relief in sight.
Washington Drivers Pay the Price
Instead of curbing emissions, the immediate result of cap-and-trade has been a punishing increase in fuel and utility bills, hitting working families and small businesses hardest. Washington’s gas prices are now outpacing every other state in the country, raising questions about whether the CCA is a climate plan — or just a massive transfer of wealth from taxpayers to Olympia’s coffers.
The data is clear: while politicians tout billions in “climate revenue,” Washingtonians are left on the hook for the bill.
