Policy

Here’s where voters delivered climate wins at the state level

Check out this rundown of state and local climate policy ballot initiatives that succeeded at the polls on Nov. 5. Read More

By Leah Garden November 20, 2024

Climate initiatives on ballots succeeded across the country. Source: Sophia Davirro

In contrast to the red wave washing over the federal government, at the state level, voters this month demonstrated not only an openness to climate policy, but also a desire to see it happen. California, Louisiana and Washington each saw specific climate measures voted into effect. These bills are specific to their states — but they provide a reading on the level of U.S. voters want to see happen on climate action and adaptation, at least on a state and local level.

California

Approved by California voters, Proposition 4 allows the state to borrow $10 billion for natural resources and climate activities by issuing bonds available for investors to purchase. California will then pay the investors back, over a predetermined amount of time, with interest. The fund includes:

$3.8 billion for water-related projects, including quality and flood mitigation.
$1.5 billion for wildfire prevention and forest preservation.
$850 million for offshore wind turbines, transmission and storage, among many others.

The bonds — a combination of tax-exempt and taxable — will be available for purchase over the next 10 years, with a maturity of 30 years.

States with similar laws

Maine: An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Research and Development Commercialization (2024): $25 million in bonds to leverage private and federal funds for the research and development of technological innovations in environmental and renewable energy technology, advanced tech for forestry and agriculture, and aquaculture and marine technology, among others.
New York: Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act (2022): $4.2 billion in bonds to leverage development of state climate change mitigation infrastructure, restoration and flood risk resilience, along with open space land conservation and recreation, among others.
Rhode Island: Environmental and Recreational Bond Measure (2024): A $53 million bond package to support the development and integration of environmental and climate measures across the state, including the development of an offshore wind hub, the rehabilitation of previously abandoned commercial sites, and the strengthening and development of flood resilience infrastructure for coastal communities.

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Louisiana

Louisiana overwhelmingly voted (more than 73 percent of voters) to pass a constitutional amendment requiring all state revenue received by renewable energy production to go directly into the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund. The fund finances programs aimed at restoring and preserving the state’s coastal areas. State revenue earned from energy produced with fossil fuels already goes directly into the fund.

Two offshore wind development companies — Cajun Wind, a subsidiary of Danish firm Vestas, and Diamond Wind, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi — currently have leases. Because construction of offshore wind development is a lengthy process, revenue to the fund could be delayed for years. In response, Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the 2023 Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies & Ecosystems Act to help expedite and streamline the process.

An analysis from the Center for Economic and Policy Research found that between January 2022 and April 2024, 103 contracts were granted to businesses from the fund for projects that include dredging, marine contracting and installation of native species of grass.

States with similar laws:

Michigan: State and Local Park Funds (2020): Requires state revenue from mineral, oil and gas leases, along with royalties earned on state lands, to be deposited into the Natural Resources Trust Fund and the State Parks Endowment Fund.
Minnesota: Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Renewal (2024): A constitutional amendment renewing dedicated funds generated by the state lottery to the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund.

South Dakota

Around 60 percent of South Dakota residents voted against Referred Law 21, which would have eased the building of carbon dioxide pipelines in the state. If passed, developers would have been able to supersede local and rules meant to restrict the location of approved pipelines. Opponents, such as retired South Dakota farmer Jim Eschenbaum, who led the campaign against the bill, told NPR that fracking was left completely out of the messaging of the law, while other farmers are worried about what potential leaks from underground pipelines would mean for their organic crops.

Pipeline builder Summit Carbon Solutions is expected to reapply for permits that now abide by county-level ordinances.

States with similar laws

Two other states have legislation or pending legislation regulating the production of carbon dioxide pipelines:

Illinois: SAFE CCS Act (2024): Blocks the development of all CO2 pipelines until the federal government’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration finalizes its proposed rules, or until July 1, 2026, whichever comes first.
Iowa: HF 576 (2023): Introduced in the Iowa State Legislature to ban the issuance of permits and prevent granting the right of eminent domain to pipeline developers. The measure is still pending.

Washington

Washington residents strongly rejected overturning the state’s Climate Commitment Act, more commonly known as Washington’s cap-and-trade law. The CCA will allow Washington state companies to purchase emission allowances each year, with the number of allowances decreasing annually while the price per allowance increases.

States with similar laws

11 states in the northeast (Connecticut, Maine, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont) make up the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) cap-and-trade program. Since its inception in 2006, RGGI has raised over $3 billion in revenue that is then redistributed to the states and shown a 90 percent faster decrease in emissions than other states without cap-and-trade programs.
California: The California Climate Investm ent program has generated more than $9 billion since it began in 2013 and has redistributed the funds to programs focusing on climate investments and equitable health solutions.