A report from the Washington Department of Commerce revealed that the state significantly overstated the greenhouse gas emissions savings from eight rebate projects funded by pollution taxes. Todd Myers from the Washington Policy Center first identified the discrepancy, acknowledging he should have spotted it immediately.
The report aimed to describe the use of $1.5 billion from the Climate Change Act to help reduce emissions, which seeks a 95% reduction by 2050. Initially, the Department of Ecology claimed these projects would save 7.5 million tons of emissions, but later corrected this figure to 78,000 tons. The projects cost $8.7 million and had previously accounted for 86% of the reported emissions reductions.
Officials attributed the discrepancy to a “data entry error” and emphasized their commitment to accurate data moving forward. The agency plans to release updated information after reviewing emissions data from state agencies. Myers noted that the reported cost of reducing one ton of CO2 was suspicious, as it suggested a cost of $40 per ton, compared to a more realistic figure of $1,410.14 per ton.
He pointed out that several specific projects in Eastern Washington had implausible figures, stating that finding a project that reduces a ton for $1 is unrealistic. The situation highlights broader concerns about data handling within the Department of Ecology and Commerce.
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