The Risk of Repeal is an interactive educational tool that offers clarity, transparency, and detail about state-directed investments. Climate Commitment Act investments encourage innovation, create new jobs, safeguard natural resources, improve air quality, accelerate the adoption of lower fuel cost technologies, revive and clean up an aging ferry fleet, improve the mobility of people and goods, strengthen a cleaner power grid, and more.

This map, inspired by the California Climate Investments map, is a tool to dig deeper and learn how the Climate Commitment Act is putting shovels into the ground across this state, leading Washington towards a cleaner and more prosperous future.

The Risk of Repeal mapping tool gives you the opportunity to explore where the state is investing Climate Commitment Act revenues and to grapple with which of those investments face the highest risk if the Climate Commitment Act is weakened or repealed. Investments are organized both as a map and a downloadable database, enabling additional independent analysis. The Risk of Repeal mapping tool incorporates investments from the interrelated seventeen-billion dollar Transportation budget known as Move Ahead Washington (which receives $5.2 billion directly from the Climate Commitment Act over sixteen years).   What investments will you uncover as you explore the map and database?

The Climate Commitment Act is Washington’s Cap-and-Invest program which caps the majority of carbon pollution in the state and invests money raised directly from large polluters towards a variety of programs spread across the state via seven investment accounts.  It’s the central strategy for the state to reduce its carbon pollution while improving air quality in highest risk communities. The Climate Commitment Act is designed to ensure large pollution sources meet an emissions reduction course to net-zero by 2050 set in state statute, but has only been in operation since 2023.

Map Version:  RoR-L.05-24.1 (updated: 5/28/2024) 

As funded programs turn into awarded projects, we will update the map. Notice something missing or inaccurate? Need technical assistance? Have a suggestion to improve the tool? We welcome your feedback: riskofrepeal@cleanprosperousinstitute.org.

User guides on navigating the map and data tables as well as additional background and definitions can be found in the menu at the top of the page. To download the complete dataset as a spreadsheet, click here.  For more summary information and graphics about the dataset, click here.

Investment risk levels are designed to filter for projects at greater (High Risk, Medium Risk) or lesser (Low Risk, Not At Risk).  In general:

High Risk projects are mostly or fully funded from the Climate Commitment Act AND are specifically dependent on the program continuing beyond 2024 based on budget language OR are with a heavy future focus in “total” spending rather than near-term (“authorized”) investments. No Move Ahead Washington projects are categorized as high risk.

Not At Risk projects have a minimal share of funding from the Climate Commitment Act or are scheduled to be completed in 2024 without longer-term funding planned.

Medium Risk and Low Risk projects fall in between, with some but not all or nearly all of funding from related investment accounts, lower emphasis on planned future spending, and no budget provision to stop funding or spending in 2025.  Medium risk projects tend to have higher shares of funding from relevant accounts and a higher share of funding beyond the authorized funding.

The Climate Commitment Act includes two categories of priority community investments that are emphasized for certain percentage thresholds of total investments made with cap-and-invest revenue.  More detail can be found in our Background and Details as well as  the law itself: RCW 70A.65.230.  Through this database, both the investments directed at “direct and meaningful benefits to vulnerable populations within the boundaries of overburdened communities”  (35% minimum, 40% goal) and, within these investment totals, a 10% share for “ programs, activities, or projects formally supported by a resolution of an Indian tribe, with priority given to otherwise qualifying projects directly administered or proposed by an Indian tribe” are compiled and tracked.

We note two important details about this filter:

1. The definitions of what qualifies towards these investment minimums are incomplete.  We expect some movement both in and out as the criteria are clarified and locations of future investments become clearer.
2. Some investments are expected to provide a share between none and all toward priority communities, which is particularly true in the broader “unmapped” programs.  Our highest-level, summed total presented on the mapping tool itself does not account for these partial allocations. Therefore, CCA investments as reported in that summary data may not be accurate if directly used to draw conclusions about funding shares.

Authorized funding is approved funding through the current biennium.  Authorized funding does not include planned future spending or any extension of funding for “ongoing” projects in the operating budget.

Total funding includes investment funding from any stage of the project life.  While some operating budget funding is indicated as “ongoing” we do not include any additional planned funding in this database unless the ongoing funding amounts are specified.

Please note that funding totals update with filters for the mapped projects but not for the unmapped projects.  Unmapped projects can be filtered, including for certain broader categories, via the search bar.  To filter for unmapped projects, you will need to download the complete dataset and apply your own filters.  The Clean and Prosperous Institute research team may be able to assist with some analysis upon request.

Our map offers the ability to toggle certain view layers on and off on the map.  These include:

• Environmental Health Disparities Map Rank 9 or 10: These meet the definition of highly-impacted communities as defined in the Environmental Health Disparities Map, and are therefore considered by the Climate Commitment Act to be “ vulnerable populations within the boundaries of overburdened communities”.
• Ecology Improving Air Quality Communities: These 16 communities were identified by Washington Department Ecology as part of the Impriving Air Quality  in Overburdened Communities initiative: “Currently, we have identified 16 overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution, with more to come following Tribal consultation. These communities represent more than 1.2 million people, or about 15.5% of the population of Washington.” 
• Counties: Borders for the 39 counties within Washington State.
• Tribal Reservations: Provide reservation borders for federally recognized tribal nations located within the contiguous state and international borders of Washington State.  This source for this layer is the ESRI US Federal Database: “This feature layer, utilizing National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) data from the U.S. Census Bureau, displays federally recognized American Indian reservations.”

The Risk of Repeal mapping tool was created by Zac Pinard, GIS Specialist.  A team of students from the University of Washington, under the guidance of Fred Pursell at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, provided additional research and design assistance.  Clean and Prosperous Institute would like to thank those students for their contributions:  Chikita Nigam, Dylan Fournier, Jade Cheatham, Madison Calma, and Megan Hassi.