Inslee pushes for funding to make WSU Tri-Cities clean energy hub in Washington

OLYMPIA – Washington State University Tri-Cities could become the home to a new clean energy institute, if a proposal by Gov. Jay Inslee makes it through the Legislature next year.

Inslee on Monday previewed his climate agenda for the 2023 legislative session at an event in the Tri-Cities, including a proposal to make WSU’s Tri-Cities campus the home of a new Northwest Energy Futures institute. Inslee is asking the Legislature for $10 million to fund it.

The institute would serve as a hub for scientific expertise and clean energy workforce development in Washington, according to the governor’s office.

Inslee said the Tri-Cities campus is the “perfect place for the next horizon of clean energy research.”

“It is time for the world to look for Washington State University and the Tri-Cities community and the innovation and capability of the state of Washington to develop the clean energy resources that the world needs,” Inslee said.

Inslee’s climate proposals this year are a continuation of his work since becoming governor to pass a number of policies to fight climate change. Most recently, Inslee has had a number of climate victories, including a cap-and-trade program and clean fuels standard, both set to take effect Jan. 1. He also has pushed for more efficient building code standards and zero-emission vehicle requirements.

“But we need new technological advancements,” he said. “We know there are more things out there yet to be discovered.”

The institute already has received a $2 million gift to fund an endowment for a director, Washington State University Tri-Cities Chancellor Sandra Haynes said. The $10 million requested of the Legislature by the governor would go toward filling more positions in the institute, which likely would take up to two years once the funding is in place.

Inslee said the institute will look at a variety of new technologies and renewable energy, including biofuels, hydropower, wind power and batteries.

Washington State University President Kirk Shulz said he wants clean energy to be a key focal point for the Tri-Cities campus. He said a new clean energy institute could allow researchers to look at all the new technologies out there and find ways to use them together.

“The institute will serve as a research powerhouse in the Tri-Cities,” he said.

Haynes said the institute is in the ideal location as it can bring people from across the state together and it can use the clean energy resources already used in the Columbia River region.

Inslee said funding the institute was a high priority for him and he will work with the Legislature to ensure it passes.

“I am cautiously optimistic about legislative support for this idea because it is so in keeping with the basic DNA of the state of Washington and recognizing the power of (research and development),” he said.

Inslee will release his full budget and legislative proposals on Wednesday, which will give legislators a sense of what he’ll ask for next year. In recent years, Democrats mostly have followed Inslee’s lead on clean energy and climate policy while Republicans have been wary of some of his larger policies, such as the clean fuel standard and cap-and-trade program.

Newly elected Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, said at Inslee’s press conference that he was excited about the opportunity for the Tri-Cities campus to be a part of the clean energy future.

“Do we want to be known as the center of the universe for clean energy? Yes,” he said.

Boehnke also pointed to legislative proposals surrounding clean energy announced last month by his fellow Senate Republicans.

Boehnke said he was proud of the plan’s sensible solutions for improving the state’s energy system.

The sweeping plan aims to lower gas prices and energy bills for Washington residents while strengthening the state’s power grid and improving reliable energy.

Some specifics include incentivizing the purchase of hybrid vehicles, promoting hydrogen fuel as an alternative, upgrading hydro power facilities, supporting the Snake River dams, investing in forest health and promoting the use of advanced nuclear technology.

Their plan also encourages natural gas heat in homes, a switch from the state Building Codes Council decision earlier this year to require heat pumps in new residential and commercial buildings.

Their plan also looks to put a cap on Washington’s cap-and-trade program, one of Inslee’s biggest climate policies passed so far.

The Legislature will meet on Jan. 9 to start its 105-day legislative session at which they will be tasked with passing a two-year budget before the session ends on April 23.