OLYMPIA, Wash – The Washington Department of Commerce wasn’t just a little bit off when estimated how many tons of greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by eight rebate projects. It was off by 7.4 million tons.
The Dept. of Commerce said Tuesday it has revised its greenhouse gas emissions date to the Department of Ecology for projects funded by the Climate Commitment Act.
Due to what the Dept. of Commerce calls a “data entry error”, that number went from 7.5 million metric tons reduced down to 78,000 million metric tons.
The initial number is 96 times the actual number.
Commerce says the submission is part of the annual report Department of Ecology prepares to show how funds raised through the CCA have been appropriated by lawmakers.
The Dept. of Commerce rebates programs offers incentives to offset greenhouse gas emissions.
“We made an error in reporting data for this program,” said Jennifer Grove, Assistant Director of Energy for the Department of Commerce. “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. “Corrective measures are already in place to strengthen our processes and prevent similar errors in the future.”
The department says agencies will now report greenhouse gas reductions through a new online tool that will reduce the potential for human error.
The Washington Policy Center criticized the state for its reporting of the data and lack of skepticism about the numbers.
“About 86 percent of the total CO2 reductions claimed by the report are probably fake,” said WPC Vice President for Research Todd Myers.
WPC shared this report detailing perceived issues with the rebate program and says “once adjusted for accuracy, the report reveals that the vast majority of projects receiving tax dollars are wasteful and ineffective.”
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