Voters ‘lean in’ to climate-focused ballot initiatives at the state level

Although voters ushered in a second Trump term earlier this month, those who went to the polls in seven states also decided in favor of climate-focused ballot measures that proposed funding environmental projects, protecting coastal regions, and investing in renewable energy infrastructure, among other initiatives.

Three of the measures, specifically those in Washington, California, and Rhode Island, could bolster green tech innovation and production.

The climate victories in those three states run in stark contrast to President-elect Trump’s campaign promises, which include reversing efforts by President Biden’s administration to rely more on clean energy than fossil fuels.

But Adam Snyder, the senior director of the Nature Conservancy, an environmental nonprofit that worked on the ballot measures, said when climate action is made local, the public supports it.

“When we’re able to localize [climate action] and hyper-focus it in a ballot initiative, we really see strong support across the board from all political stripes and in all sections of the country,” Snyder told Tech Brew.

Washington: In Washington State, voters upheld the Climate Commitment Act, which aims to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by capping the amount corporations produce and requiring them to buy allowances for emissions that go over the cap. The proceeds from those allowances are then invested in “critical climate projects.”

The law was initially passed in 2021 with help from the Nature Conservancy and other advocacy groups. According to a September 2024 report from Greenline Insights, it’s projected to create approximately 3,600 new clean energy jobs and generate $530 million in clean energy investments. What’s more, the law will invest approximately $840 million to make buildings and homes more energy efficient and $440 million into clean vehicle incentives in the next eight years.

David Mendoza, the director of advocacy and engagement at the Nature Conservancy, told Tech Brew that what makes the law special is its focus on investing in “overburdened communities,” or those disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. Specifically, the law mandates that 35% of the funds generated from allowances be invested in such communities.

“We made [the law] both a program that addressed global concerns and also takes care of our community,” Mendoza said. “It’s those investments—even just two years—that folks really saw the benefits coming to their communities.”

In a press conference earlier this month, the state’s outgoing governor, Jay Inslee, said Washingtonian’s upholding the law via a nearly 62% majority vote is “doubly important now that the White House is in control of a person who denies the existence of climate change.”

“I could not be more proud of what Washingtonians did,” Inslee said. “It is a winning message to stand against climate change, and we have a mechanism of building an economy and clean energy jobs while simultaneously defeating climate change.”

Rhode Island: On the East Coast, Rhode Island voters approved a ballot question that allocated $53 million to nine environmental projects in the state via a bond, $15 million of which will go to upgrading and modernizing the Port of Davisville to attract more offshore wind energy.

Jed Thorp, the director of advocacy of Save the Bay, told Tech Brew that the bond goes hand in hand with Rhode Island’s Act on Climate, which aims to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“The buildup and the buildout of the offshore wind industry [at the port] is part of the state’s broader strategy to address climate change in terms of the emission-reduction strategy,” Thorp said.

The Port of Davisville renovation project is the latest addition to Rhode Island’s offshore wind power production legacy: The state hosts the nation’s first offshore commercial wind farm on Block Island, which finished construction in 2016. And soon, Rhode Island and Connecticut will be home to the country’s first multi-state offshore wind project.

California: Offshore wind is getting a big financial boost from a new bond passed via ballot initiative in California, too.

Thanks to Prop 4, which California voters passed through a 57% vote, projects focused on potable water, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy like offshore wind turbines, and flood resilience strategies will be funded by a $10 billion bond, $300 million of which will support sustainable agriculture, and $850 million will go toward California’s transition to renewable energy.

The bond was supported by many of the state’s biggest names in agribusiness and renewable energy.

In a statement to Tech Brew via representative Pasha Dahncke, environmentalist and investor Kat Taylor said the $300 million for sustainable agriculture will “ensure the long-term resilience of [California’s] food supply.”

“The funding earmarked for sustainable agriculture excites me the most,” Taylor said, “as it will help family farmers and ranchers preserve soil health, and restore natural systems that foster biodiversity while growing food and fiber.”

Molly Croll, the director of Pacific Coast Offshore Wind at American Clean Power, told Tech Brew that the $475 million portion of the bond earmarked for renewable energy will be used to construct staging and integration ports where offshore wind turbines are built—an important first step in encouraging “additional investment in clean energy infrastructure.”

“The result of the Prop 4 success—and how many voters showed up to vote ‘yes’ for that proposition—shows that Californians are committed to investing in tangible climate mitigation solutions,” Croll said.

She also said that Prop 4 and all the ballot initiatives are proof that big strides in energy policy can happen at the state level, and that state action is important.

“We expect California to continue to lean in,” Croll said. “Voters support that.”