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🔦 Today's US state spotlight is: #Washington

Writer's picture: sebmanhartsebmanhart



Washington has already established itself as a climate leader, passing many progressive climate bills. It also has a thriving tech sector, including being home to two of the biggest purchasers of CDR credits, Microsoft and Amazon.

What are the relevant climate policy frameworks in WA?

🎯 In 2020, the WA State Legislature passed a statute establishing an impressive emission goal of 95% reduction in GHG emissions from 1990 levels and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

🏭 WA’s Climate Commitment Act, which went into effect in January 2023, established cap-and-invest program for businesses emitting >25,000MT CO2 equivalent annually, steadily reducing over time to match emission limits. To date, it has raised over $2 billion which has been invested in various decarbonization programs.

💵 In September, Governor Jay Inslee made US history by signing the capital budget that allocates $12 million in grant funding through the Clean Energy Fund to companies, academic institutions and nonprofits for research and demonstration projects in climate tech including 'greenhouse gas removal'.

What CDR technologies are WA looking at?

🌲 Given that WA is a leading lumber producer, it is fertile ground for advancing biochar production and use. Washington State University published a biochar roadmap to pave the wave for the future development of the biochar industry in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

🫰 Washington State University is leading a lot of biochar and enhanced rock weather (ERW) agricultural trials, and recently awarded a $5 million grant focused on understanding methods for producing low-carbon feedstock, including biochar applications.

🪨 The Ankeron Carbon Management Hub led by the RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute) was awarded $3 million for deploying innovative technology to permanently remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in subterranean basaltic rock in the Pacific Northwest.

Given the state’s natural resources of forests and rock, its thriving tech sector, and its conducive policy environment, I look forward to seeing WA become a leader in the CDR space.

❓Who else would you like to shout out in the WA climate space? What do you think about the state’s carbon management plans?


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