Washington state’s thriving clean economy is powered by billions of dollars in private-sector investments, AND by government investments that power research & development, reduce start-up risk, and scale innovation. Those investments are funded at the state level by the Climate Commitment Act. Federal dollars, too, are driving our clean economy. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act all support local business growth and job creation, and competitive strength in the global clean energy race.
So what’s up with those headlines coming out of the other Washington (D.C.), about executive orders freezing funds that had been appropriated by Congress?
Those headlines may leave you wondering,
- Is this political?
- That doesn’t make sense… after all, the top 10 states hardest hit by these funding freezes all voted “Red” in November
- Are these federal programs unpopular?
- That doesn’t make sense… polls show a bipartisan majority supports these programs
- Does this have something to do with efficiency?
- That doesn’t make sense… these funds are estimated to return $4 for every dollar invested
- What programs and projects in Washington state – and across the country – are at risk?
- See for yourself: The Clean & Prosperous Institute has unveiled its interactive map, showing where frozen funds may delay or derail valuable projects:
Washington state stands to lose some portion of $4,771,468,573 in funding across 178 projects – to say nothing about the associated jobs and climate benefits – if the executive-ordered funding freeze remains in effect. If we do the math and apply the estimated 4X return on investment, that could be over $19,000,000,000 taken from our state’s economy.
Looking for more? The Climate Action Campaign has a map with some overlapping information: https://www.actonclimate.com/cwh-map/