Nov 26 2024 20 mins 1
After Washingtonians overwhelmingly voted to keep the Climate Commitment Act, their leaders have powerful opportunities ahead.
Voters in Washington state delivered a resounding endorsement of climate action on Tuesday. They overwhelmingly rejected Initiative 2117, which would have repealed the state's cap-and-invest law, the Climate Commitment Act. In fact, as of the latest ballot count, with 80 percent of votes counted, Washingtonians opted to keep the Climate Commitment Act by a bigger margin than the one by which the dependably blue state voted for Vice President Kamala Harris. A signal of widespread support to prioritize climate action - and not go backward - even sounded from places in Washington that Donald Trump won handily, like Spokane County.
As of this writing, the other anti-climate ballot initiative, Initiative 2066, which would roll back the state's efforts to power buildings with clean electricity instead of burning gas, is still too close to call. Confusion over the double negative language of that ballot measure, deceptive booster messaging about what it would do, a less well-funded "no" campaign than the one focused on defeating I-2117, and a (misleading, error-ridden) "yes" endorsement from the Seattle Times likely all contributed to I-2066 being a far closer race than that for I-2117. Still, that votes on I-2066 are so close - 51 percent in favor and 49 percent against - is indicative of support for climate action among a broad swath of Washingtonians. (If I-2066 passes, it is also likely to face legal challenges in the coming months.)
Now that the election is over, what's next for climate policy in the Evergreen state? In short, it's time to get back to work, passing more policies that will put Washington state on track to meet its legally required greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
And to be clear, when we're talking about emissions and climate policy, we're talking about things most people want in their everyday lives: clean air to breathe and water to drink; safe and toxics-free homes, schools, and businesses; vibrant, connective neighborhoods free from highway noise and pollution; and a shared path of accountability and commitment to a more stable climate future.
With federal climate action likely at a standstill (at best) over the next four years, Washington can keep moving forward. Below, Sightline outlines four ways that Governor-elect Bob Ferguson and Washington lawmakers can model climate action for the rest of the United States, including:
Round out the Climate Commitment Act to fulfill what the legislature and voters intend for it to do: cut pollution, including from gas utilities and big polluting facilities, and uphold its environmental justice commitments.
Advance climate action at the Utilities and Transportation Commission, which regulates investor-owned gas utilities, including by appointing a climate champion as commissioner.
Build the grid Washington needs to support its clean energy future.
Double down on neighborhood-scale thermal energy networks, the highly efficient carbon-free networks of water pipes and ground-source heat pumps that are popular with environmental, labor, and consumer advocates.
After all, Tuesday's results show that climate is a winning issue in Washington.
1. Round out the Climate Commitment Act to hold polluters accountable and advance environmental justice
The Climate Commitment Act is one of Washington's most powerful climate policies. Washingtonians voted to uphold that law by a nearly 24-point margin, as of the latest ballot count. Still, the Climate Commitment Act as written does not guarantee that Washington meets its climate or environmental goals. Now that voters have unequivocally made clear that they want to retain the state's cap-and-invest program, lawmakers can get to work filling in its gaps. They can do that in at least three ways:
A. Hold gas utilities accountable to reducing emissions, rather allowing them to simply pay to keep polluting
Big...
Voters in Washington state delivered a resounding endorsement of climate action on Tuesday. They overwhelmingly rejected Initiative 2117, which would have repealed the state's cap-and-invest law, the Climate Commitment Act. In fact, as of the latest ballot count, with 80 percent of votes counted, Washingtonians opted to keep the Climate Commitment Act by a bigger margin than the one by which the dependably blue state voted for Vice President Kamala Harris. A signal of widespread support to prioritize climate action - and not go backward - even sounded from places in Washington that Donald Trump won handily, like Spokane County.
As of this writing, the other anti-climate ballot initiative, Initiative 2066, which would roll back the state's efforts to power buildings with clean electricity instead of burning gas, is still too close to call. Confusion over the double negative language of that ballot measure, deceptive booster messaging about what it would do, a less well-funded "no" campaign than the one focused on defeating I-2117, and a (misleading, error-ridden) "yes" endorsement from the Seattle Times likely all contributed to I-2066 being a far closer race than that for I-2117. Still, that votes on I-2066 are so close - 51 percent in favor and 49 percent against - is indicative of support for climate action among a broad swath of Washingtonians. (If I-2066 passes, it is also likely to face legal challenges in the coming months.)
Now that the election is over, what's next for climate policy in the Evergreen state? In short, it's time to get back to work, passing more policies that will put Washington state on track to meet its legally required greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
And to be clear, when we're talking about emissions and climate policy, we're talking about things most people want in their everyday lives: clean air to breathe and water to drink; safe and toxics-free homes, schools, and businesses; vibrant, connective neighborhoods free from highway noise and pollution; and a shared path of accountability and commitment to a more stable climate future.
With federal climate action likely at a standstill (at best) over the next four years, Washington can keep moving forward. Below, Sightline outlines four ways that Governor-elect Bob Ferguson and Washington lawmakers can model climate action for the rest of the United States, including:
Round out the Climate Commitment Act to fulfill what the legislature and voters intend for it to do: cut pollution, including from gas utilities and big polluting facilities, and uphold its environmental justice commitments.
Advance climate action at the Utilities and Transportation Commission, which regulates investor-owned gas utilities, including by appointing a climate champion as commissioner.
Build the grid Washington needs to support its clean energy future.
Double down on neighborhood-scale thermal energy networks, the highly efficient carbon-free networks of water pipes and ground-source heat pumps that are popular with environmental, labor, and consumer advocates.
After all, Tuesday's results show that climate is a winning issue in Washington.
1. Round out the Climate Commitment Act to hold polluters accountable and advance environmental justice
The Climate Commitment Act is one of Washington's most powerful climate policies. Washingtonians voted to uphold that law by a nearly 24-point margin, as of the latest ballot count. Still, the Climate Commitment Act as written does not guarantee that Washington meets its climate or environmental goals. Now that voters have unequivocally made clear that they want to retain the state's cap-and-invest program, lawmakers can get to work filling in its gaps. They can do that in at least three ways:
A. Hold gas utilities accountable to reducing emissions, rather allowing them to simply pay to keep polluting
Big...
