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 The M/V Wenatchee approaches the Seattle skyline. The Wenatchee and its Jumbo Mark II sibling vessels, Tacoma and Puyallup, will each be retrofitted for hybrid-electric power. (Image courtesy of WSDOT)
The three largest ferries in Washington state will soon run on hybrid-electric power. Washington State Ferries announced Tuesday that it awarded a shipyard contract to Vigor for the conversion of WSF?s three Jumbo Mark II-class ferries: the Wenatchee, Tacoma, and Puyallup.
WSF operates the largest ferry system in the U.S., burning 19 million gallons of diesel fuel each year to transport as many as 24 million passengers a year. Built in the late 1990s, Jumbo Mark II-class ferries are each powered by four massive engines generating 16,000 horsepower to propel as many as 2,500 passengers to their destinations. By converting to hybrid-electric powertrains, the state?s largest-emitting ferries will have their emissions slashed by 95%.
?This contract is a big step toward providing our ferry-served communities with better air quality and more sustainable service,? said Matt von Ruden, system electrification program administrator for WSF.
WSF intends to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The agency will retrofit six ferries, build 16 new hybrid ferries, and add charging power to 16 terminals. The Wenatchee will undergo conversion this year, and the Tacoma and Puyallup will be converted over the next two years.
Gov. Jay Inslee signed an executive order in 2020 to accelerate the electrification of the WSF fleet, and signed the Move Ahead Washington package in 2022 with $1 billion in appropriations for the state ferry system. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently visited Seattle to tout the state?s progress on electrification.
?We?re leading the nation in electrifying almost every transportation system, starting with the ferry boats,? said Inslee.
?Gov. Inslee is not only leading the way on climate but understands the importance of infrastructure and has put resources into that,? said Buttigieg.
The cost to retrofit the three vessels amounts to $150 million, of which the federal government will assist with $44.6 million in already-announced funding. All three vessels were already due for substantial mid-life maintenance work.
 Vice President Kamala Harris spoke in Seattle this week to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act. Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the bill in the U.S. Senate.
Vice President Kamala Harris? vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022 broke a Senate tie to send the bill along to the U.S. House of Representatives. It would pass the House and would be signed by President Joe Biden to become the largest single investment in climate action in national history.
?There is no acceptable tie with climate change - it must be defeated. Thank goodness we have a vice president who broke the tie with the vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act to combat climate change,? said Gov. Jay Inslee.
Harris visited Seattle on Tuesday to tout the first anniversary of the bill?s passage.
?President Biden and I are taking on one of the most urgent issues of our time, and of course, that is the climate crisis,? said Harris. ?Every day around the world, the impact of the climate crisis is stark and vivid ? we are seeing it in real time.?
The Inflation Reduction Act set aside $27 billion for states to deploy zero-emissions technology to reduce pollution, as Washington state is doing by electrifying its ferry fleet and building an electric-vehicle charging network. Another $8.6 billion was set aside to help consumers retrofit their homes for energy efficiency, and $2 billion was allocated for forestry conservation and land acquisition programs. The act is expected to create more than 9 million jobs by 2030.
The U.S. Climate Alliance, co-founded by Gov. Jay Inslee, issued a statement Wednesday to herald the anniversary.
?Since we launched the Alliance in 2017, the urgency of climate action has only grown,? said Inslee. ?The Inflation Reduction Act is the most important federal action yet for super-charging state efforts to go further, faster in transitioning to clean energy. States are using these investments to create jobs and invest in communities. The IRA has helped put the United States back in the game in the global fight against climate change.?
 Gov. Jay Inslee lends a hand with chest compressions in a health careers classroom at Mount Tahoma High School. The governor has supported career-connected learning and apprenticeship opportunities to address a shortage of nurses and has signed legislation to improve working conditions within hospitals.
Teachers and nurses are sorely needed across Washington state and across the nation. Schools in rural and lower-income communities nationwide have been challenged to hire teachers, and there is a general shortage of qualified special education teachers. Likewise, nurses are in short supply nationwide.
On Thursday, the state Department of Labor & Industries announced a new apprenticeship program for nurses and special education teachers backed by $5.6 million in funding. L&I, the state Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA), the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and the Washington Education Association (WEA) are each funding the program.
?Our Career Connect and apprenticeship efforts are all about connecting students and workers to the many incredible career opportunities in high-demand fields, including education and health care,? said Gov. Jay Inslee. ?The collaboration among state agencies and union partners is paying off and we appreciate the support of the federal Department of Labor.?
Apprenticeship programs for special education teachers will focus on the Walla Walla, Federal Way, and Mukilteo school districts. The grant will open the possibility of a career in teaching to a new universe of potential educators by requiring only a bachelor?s degree rather than a master?s degree.
The program will also fund on-the-job training for licensed practical nurses in long-term care facilities serving veterans including the Washington Soldiers Home, Washington Veterans Home, Spokane Veterans Home, and Walla Walla Veterans Home.
In the most recent legislative session, Inslee signed bills to address the nursing shortage and signed a budget with record investments in special education to help districts attract and retain qualified educators.
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