WASHINGTON

Washington, officially the State of Washington, is in the Pacific Northwest. It borders the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the south, Idaho to the east, and shares an international border with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. It is the 18th-largest state by area, with 71,362 square miles, and the 13th most populous state with just under 8 million people, as of the Jan 5, 2025 census.

CLIMATE IMPACTS

Temperatures in Washington have risen almost 2 degrees (F) over the past century. 

• Compared to a historical average of 1 hot day per year, Washington is expected to experience 11-127 hot days each year by 2100, depending on the location.
• Washington is especially threatened by reduced water availability and drought, with a 40-60% projected decrease in snowpack by 2100, leading to lower river flows and warmer water temperatures.
• With a 4 inch rise in sea level since 1930, and a projected increase of 1.5-2.5 feet by 2100, the state is threatened by coastal flooding and coastal habitat loss.
• In addition to drought, declining snowpack could lead to larger and more frequent floods, with 22% heavier extreme participation predicted by 2100. 

ENERGY

The state’s climate ranges from the rainforest in the extreme western part of Washington, where the heaviest precipitation in the continental United States occurs, to near desert conditions in areas east of the Cascade Range.

• Washingtonbenefits from access to abundant low-cost energy, and its significant renewable energy resources, especially hydroelectric power, are major contributors to the state’s economy. 
• Washington is the nation’s largest producer of hydroelectric power and is home to one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in the world. 
• The Columbia River, second only to the Mississippi in volume of water flow among the nation’s rivers, enters Washington near the state’s northeastern corner and flows in an arc through the eastern half of the state. It forms much of the boundary between Washington and Oregon and drains all of eastern Washington and the western slopes of the Cascade Range south of Mt. Rainier. The river provides water for vast hydroelectric projects including the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest hydropower producer in the United States. 
• Crop residues from Washington’s agricultural areas in the east and those from the state’s western forests provide ample biomass resources, and many areas of the state are conducive to wind power development.
• The state has few fossil fuel resources, but it has the only crude oil refining capacity in the Pacific Northwest. 
• Washington is also the only Pacific state other than California that generates nuclear power.
• In 2023, Washington generated about 90% of its total energy production from renewable sources, making the state 3rd in the nation, after Texas and California, for utility-scale renewable generation. 
• Hydroelectric power accounted for 60%of Washington’s total electricity generation in 2023, with other renewable sources accounting for 10% (wind at 8%, biomass at 1%, and solar less than 1%). 
• Natural gas fueled 18% of electricity in 2023, while nuclear energy provided 8% and coal provided about 4%. 

LEGISLATION

• Washington released its first climate plan in 2012, titled Preparing for a Changing Climate: Washington State’s Integrated Climate Response Strategy. Prepared by the Department of Ecology, the plan includes 287 distinct goals across multiple sectors for state agencies to respond to the impacts of climate change. That same year Washington became the first state in the nation to develop a comprehensive strategy for addressing the impacts of ocean acidification.
• The ocean acidification report was updated in 2017. 
• In May 2019, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a law requiring that 100 percent of the state’s electricity come from clean energy sources by 2045,becoming the 4th state to commit to entirely clean energy, following Hawaii, California and New Mexico. The law also mandates structural changes to the way the state’s utilities do business, and includes bill reductions as well as weatherization, energy efficiency, and “direct customer ownership in distributed energy resources.” This measure required utilities to eliminate coal as an energy source by the end of 2025 as the first step toward the governor’s goal.
• Inslee also signed a bill that seeks to make large commercial buildings more energy efficient. 
• Another establishes new minimum efficiency and testing standards for certain appliances, including portable air conditioners, showerheads, and water coolers. In order to be sold in the state, several of the appliances covered under that law, including computers and computer monitors, must meet the state’s efficiency standards if they’re manufactured in or after 2021.
• Inslee also signed a measure that restores a sales tax break for electric vehicles.
• In 2021, Washington revised its State Energy Strategy to align with the targets set in the Clean Energy Transformation Act. The State Energy Strategy aims to balance three goals: maintain competitive, fair and reasonable energy prices; foster a clean energy economy and jobs through business and workforce development; meet the state’s obligations to reduce GHG emissions. 
• By passing the Climate Commitment Act(CCA) in 2021, Washington established the second Cap-and-Invest program in the nation to reduce GHG emissions. The CCA is intended to work alongside the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act, Washington’s first environmental justice law also passed in 2021. The HEAL Act requires state agencies to identify and address environmental disparities, and requires the Department of Ecology to develop a community engagement plan and Tribal consultation frameworks, conduct environmental justice assessments, and incorporate environmental justice into strategic plans. 
• Mandated by the CCA, the Department of Ecology published the Washington State Climate Resilience Strategy in September 2024. The plan includes a statewide climate impacts assessment, developed with the University of Washington, and outlines eight climate resilience strategies. The Strategy will be updated every four years, with the next release due September 2028. 
• Individual counties and cities within Washington are also moving to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels with the purpose of helping the state reach its 2045 goals: 

• In July 2021, Whatcom county became the first such jurisdiction in the US to ban new fossil fuel infrastructure, following a lengthy battle over the impact of oil refineries on the local community.
• Seattle passed its Green New Deal in 2019. The city’s Green New Deal is an initiative to advance climate justice for overburdened communities through measures like resilience hubs, climate workforce development, clean heat programs, building emissions performance standards, and an environmental justice fund. In 2019 Seattle’s Mayor Durkan issued an Executive order committing the city to new actions supporting the goals of Seattle’s Green New Deal, such as requiring all new or substantially altered municipal buildings to operate without fossil fuels. By early 2021 she transmitted a proposed update to the energy code, further electrifying buildings using clean energy and restricting fossil fuels for most business use.

CLIMATE ACTION WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Washington is participating in the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, establishing the Washington Climate Partnership and releasing its Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) on March 1, 2024. The PCAP focuses on near-term, high-priority measures for reducing GHG emissions, and includes a GHG inventory and a low-income and disadvantaged communities benefits analysis. 

COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER STATES 

• Washington is exploring the possibility of linking with California and Québecto create a shared carbon market under their similar Cap-and-Invest programs. 
• Washington is one of twenty-four states, along with Puerto Rico, committed to the U.S. Climate Alliance, which is working to implement policies that advance the goals of the Paris Agreement.