The projects were originally credited with cutting 7.5 million metric tons of emissions, but the corrected figure is about 78,000 metric tons, overstating the impact by a factor of 96.
Washington State was busted pushing phony numbers to bolster its claims of fighting climate change to justify a tax that has spiked gas prices across the state.
The Department of Commerce was forced to acknowledge a significant mistake in the emissions reductions it reported for eight Climate Commitment Act (CCA) projects, programs aimed at home electrification and appliance rebates for low-income communities. The Washington State Legislature passed the CCA in 2021, requiring businesses that generate greenhouse gas emissions to buy credits to offset the pollution that they generate. The revenue generated from taxes rolled over onto motorists pumping gas, and homeowners and renters paying higher utilities is meant to be invested in programs that reduce fossil fuel pollution.
According to Commerce, the agency made a “data entry error” that caused the reported greenhouse gas reductions from these eight projects to be wildly inflated. The projects were originally credited with cutting 7.5 million metric tons of emissions, but the corrected figure is about 78,000 metric tons, overstating the impact by a factor of 96. Jennifer Grove, assistant director of Energy for Commerce, said in a statement to local media, “We made an error in reporting data for this program. The Climate Commitment Act is a vital part of the state’s efforts to control carbon emissions, and we’re committed to ensuring that the information we share is complete and accurate.”
Todd Myers, Vice President for Research at the Washington Policy Center, previously warned that just eight projects accounted for 86 percent of the emissions reductions touted in the state’s spending report. On The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, Myers described what happened after he requested the spreadsheet underlying the state’s claims. He said the dataset contained roughly 3,600 projects, yet eight entries were so skewed that they dominated the results. “They account for 86 percent of the total reductions,” he said, calling the claims “fake… totally wrong.”
Commerce’s admission confirms the emissions reductions attached to the eight projects were off by nearly one hundred times, and then prominently featured in state messaging. When the Department of Ecology released its “Climate Commitment Act Investments” report, its press release claimed CCA spending from the carbon tax “is expected to directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a total of nearly 9 million metric tons”—“the equivalent of taking 40% of gas and diesel vehicles in Washington off the road for a whole year,” the agency boasted. Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller praised the report as delivering “detailed, transparent information about CCA spending” and said it helps lawmakers “guide those investments wisely.”
Washington drivers are paying some of the highest gas prices in the nation because of the Climate Commitment Act carbon tax. On January 7, 2026, AAA reported a national average of about $2.82, while Washington averaged about $3.81, more than a dollar higher than many states. At a time when families are paying more to heat their homes, fuel their cars, and run their businesses, the agencies responsible for proving the program works just admitted they inflated the results of their most celebrated projects by nearly 100x.
Libby’s Desk
Commentary and must-reads from Libby’s desk, straight to your inbox.
TPM Newsletter
The Post Millennial’s top stories, delivered to your inbox.
