Alliance members are working to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping temperature increases below 1.5 degrees Celsius by reducing emissions, accelerating action, centering equity, and tracking progress. 

Explore Washington's policies and actions across the Alliance's 10 key policy areas. Numbers presented below only reflect the number of policies in this database and thus may not reflect all climate policies pursued.

washington

GHG Targets + Governance

Just Transition + Equity

Industry

Pricing Carbon + Valuing Damages

Electricity

Transportation

Resilience

Natural + Working Lands

Climate Finance

Buildings

total

SB 6026 - Concerning residential development in commercial and mixed-use zones

Governor Bob Ferguson signed a slate of bills today aimed at improving our state’s housing, including his own Governor Request Legislation allowing housing in commercial and mixed-use zones.

SB 6026 requires local governments with populations greater than 30,000 to allow housing in areas zoned for commercial or mixed-use. It also limits jurisdictions’ ability to mandate ground-floor commercial in up to 40% of their total acreage zoned for commercial or mixed-use, except in areas such as industrial zones, station areas and historic landmarks. This allows the market to better drive where ground-floor commercial makes sense.

Land availability continues to be a barrier to building more housing. There are vacant properties across Washington that present opportunities to build more housing in areas where infrastructure already exists. For example, an abandoned strip mall or shuttered big-box store could be turned into housing with fewer barriers and arbitrary ground-floor retail mandates.

Any city or county with a population of 30,000 or
more, or any county that is not a rural county that is fully planning or chooses to plan under
the Growth Management Act, is prohibited from excluding residential uses in areas zoned for commercial or
mixed-use development.

The bill also limits jurisdictions’ ability to mandate ground-floor commercial in up to 40% of their total acreage zoned for commercial or mixed-use, except in areas such as industrial zones, station areas and historic landmarks. This allows the market to better drive where ground-floor commercial makes sense. 

Residential development in commercial and mixed-use zones

transportation

SB 5982, Updating Provisions for Consumer-Owned Utilities and Affected Market Customers under the Clean Energy Transformation Act

SB 5982 updates the 2019 Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) by subjecting port utility districts and other independent electricity generators to CETA’s renewable energy requirements. The new law closes a loophole that previously allowed certain entities, including data centers, to bypass CETA.

SB 6231, An Act Relating to Removing a Tax Exemption for the Replacement of Equipment for Data Centers

SB 6231 ends the sales and use tax exemption for data center replacement equipment after July 1, 2026.

SB 6355, Concerning the Electric Transmission System

SB 6355 establishes the Washington Electric Transmission Authority, tasked with supporting transmission reliability, resilience, affordability, and clean energy goals. The Authority will coordinate transmission siting, permitting, and engagement with utility, local, state, Tribal, and federal stakeholders. The Department of Commerce must identify high-priority transmission corridors by October 30, 2027, and the Authority can partner with transmission developers on projects in these priority areas. Funding for the Authority is appropriated in SB 5998, which was also signed into law.

HB 1125 - Making transportation appropriations for the 2021-2023 and 2023-2025 fiscal biennia

Appropriations totaling $13.5 billion are made for state transportation agencies and
programs for the 2023-25 fiscal biennium from a number of transportation accounts. 

The e-bike rebate program is funded through the Washington state legislature’s transportation budget. Funding comes from the Climate Commitment Act. Washington State Department of Transportations’ Active Transportation Division is tasked with designing and implementing the program according to rules set by the legislature.

- Sixty percent of the funds are directed towards $1200 rebates and forty percent of funds towards $300 rebates
- People must submit an application, be selected, and send in eligibility documentation for approval before receiving a rebate
- Rebates must be redeemed in person at a approved bike shop in Washington state that sells and services e-bikes
- Rebates must be used to purchase an eligible e-bike