Manufacturing plays a critical role in the U.S. economy and national defense, supporting more than 12 million jobs and $2 trillion in the economy. But, in the last decade, we have lost more than 6 million manufacturing jobs. By investing in advanced manufacturing, we can harness science and engineering technology to make U.S. manufacturing more competitive. Sen. Cantwell highlighted investments that Boeing is making in U.S. advanced manufacturing around the new 777x wing, now manufactured in the state of Washington.
Clean & Prosperous Washington
Innovation and Economic Opportunity
Consumer Appeal, Risks and Choices
In this blog post, I’ll review solar’s unique attributes that are not currently captured in the price of solar, as measured through RECRIP and net metering.
The state of solar in Washington
What are the origins of the solar cluster in Washington? Can we quantify the industry’s current status? What state-level policies influenced solar’s growth? This section will attempt to answer those questions.
What is the Market Potential for Solar?
Let’s explore solar’s current status and trends in national and international markets. This is important as solar manufacturers and related industries in Washington are actually more dependent on, and subject to, trends developing outside of state boundaries.
Introduction to Washington’s Solar Industry
Washington has a number of emerging clusters that offer economic promise. This is the first post in a blog series that will focus on solar – a subset of Washington’s clean technology and renewable energy industry cluster.
Understanding Carbon Reduction: Marginal Abatement Cost Curves
A Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MAC curve or MACC) is a succinct and straightforward tool for presenting carbon emissions abatement options relative to a baseline (typically a business-as-usual pathway). A MAC curve permits an easy to read visualization of various mitigation options or measures organized by a single, understandable metric: economic cost of emissions abatement.
Bills to Advance Electric Vehicles Make Good Economic and Environmental Sense
A charged debate is underway in the Washington State legislature over whether or not to extend the sales tax exemptions for electric and alternative fuel vehicles. If no action is taken this session, the exemption will expire in July of this year. The cost to the state for EV sales tax breaks varies greatly depending on the make and model of the car, whether one buys or leases, and if the buyer has a trade-in. Because most EV drivers are leasing, the sales tax is based on the monthly payment and not the MSRP. The means the opportunity cost of tax exemptions is less than one might think. And yet the benefits to the economy and environment are significant.
Energy Storage Open Standards: A Northwest-Led Solution with Global Potential
The future of energy demands storage, and the Northwest is a pioneer. Private sector solutions are emerging, but the market is young, and there is a risk that innovations develop independent of each other, resulting in expensive projects and incompatible products.
Who are Washington States Largest Carbon Emitters?
With the announcement of Governor Inslee’s cap and trade greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction plan, Washington residents may be wondering who the state’s top emitters are. The graph below uses EPA FLIGHT data to reveal who is most likely to be directly impacted by the proposal. It includes all facilities (minus fuel providers) that registered more than 10,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases in any year: 2010, 2011, 2012, or 2013.
Creating the Win-Win: Low Carbon Prosperity
Washington’s unique clean and competitive energy assets position the state to succeed in a well-designed regulatory climate encouraging the use of less carbon intense energy sources. Businesses in Washington State have a leadership opportunity to drive a policy outcome.