Why did Washington's gas prices jump in 2023?
Washington's gas prices rose $1.49 per gallon over the past five years — the largest five-year increase of any state. Most of that jump came in a single window: January 2023, when both the Climate Commitment Act and the Clean Fuel Standard took effect.
What you're paying for
Washington pays $1.23 more per gallon than the U.S. average. About $0.48 of that is attributable to the CCA and CFS, both effective January 2023. The cleanest causal-style policy estimate in the entire data set.
Against its neighbors
Amber line marks the U.S. average of $3.38.
Price over time
Washington U.S. average
Washington, explained
Why did Washington's gas prices jump in 2023?−
On January 1, 2023, two Washington state laws took effect simultaneously: the Climate Commitment Act, a cap-and-invest program, and the Clean Fuel Standard. Both impose a cost on motor fuel that is passed through to retail prices. Our model estimates the combined effect at about $0.48 per gallon, corroborated by a simple before-and-after check: Washington's average price rose $0.97 between 2017–2022 and 2023–2026, while the national average rose only $0.48.
How much does the Climate Commitment Act cost Washington drivers?+
Our regression estimates the combined cost of the CCA and CFS at about $0.48 per gallon. This is the closest thing to a cause-and-effect policy estimate anywhere in our analysis, because it relies on a literal within-state comparison: Washington before January 2023 versus Washington after, with the national price trend stripped out.
How does Washington's gas tax compare?+
Washington's state excise tax is 49.4 cents per gallon, the third-highest in the country, behind California and Pennsylvania. Including the CCA and CFS pass-through, Washington drivers pay roughly $0.97 per gallon in state taxes and tax-like climate fees combined.
Why is Washington more expensive than Oregon if both have low-carbon fuel programs?+
Oregon's Clean Fuels Program has been in effect since 2016 and was already priced into Oregon's gasoline before our 2017 start date. Washington's two programs only took effect in January 2023, producing the sharp post-2023 inflection. Oregon's underlying tax burden is also slightly lower than Washington's.