What is the state of innovation?

Washington is the state of innovation.

And what’s the state of innovation in Washington state?

Thanks in part to the Cap-and-Invest Climate Commitment Act (CCA), our state is a leader in creating the clean energy future.

Why “in part”? U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told Forbes, “The clean energy transition will be government-enabled, private sector-led. The federal government can lower risks, build demand, offer cost-sharing, and set up the strongest possible policy and investment environments for this transition. But none of that gets us anywhere on its own. We need the private sector to grab the baton and sprint.” 

State government is part of that “relay team” too. CCA revenues invested in clean energy projects put wind at the backs of private sector contenders. Some of the most promising organizations making meaningful advances in clean energy will be celebrated at the David & Patricia Giuliani Clean Energy Entrepreneur Award presentation, made by the Clean & Prosperous Institute at its upcoming Future of Carbon Policy Forum in January.

Many of the award nominees have leveraged federal and/or state funding to develop, commercialize and scale their innovations in energy, transportation, agriculture and other sectors.

Brian Young, clean technology sector lead at the Washington State Department of Commerce, says the state is leading on multiple climate tech fronts, including in producing sustainable aviation fuels, development of the energy storage supply chain, and building green hydrogen infrastructure. “Washington has nation-leading, if not world-leading, policy in place to fight climate change. This is the time to invest in the infrastructure of a carbon-free economy.”

As reported in Geekwire, Seattle venture capitalist Jonathan Azoff told attendees at a climate entrepreneur event hosted by the Washington Clean Energy Testbeds recently that Washington has “all the elements needed to be the premier place for climate tech innovation:

• Academic excellence: Seattle is home to the UW, an institution that landed $1.5 billion in federal research funds last year. The broader region includes Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington State University and other institutions. 
• Effective policy: The Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and other federal policy passed during the Biden administration have accelerated climate tech innovation and deployment. Washington state leaders have approved nation-leading climate measures including the Climate Commitment Act, Clean Energy Transformation Act and more. 
• Risk capital: The region is home to Amazon and Microsoft — companies worth well over a trillion dollars each. The Seattle-area has billionaires and loads of households that qualify as the ultra-rich. 

And Washington’s climate tech ecosystem is blossoming. 

• The region is bonkers for batteries, led by Group14, which is valued at more than $3 billion, and others setting up manufacturing sites. 
• Helion Energy and Zap Energy, based north of Seattle in Everett, Wash., are reaching for fusion’s star power. 
• The area is a federally appointed hydrogen energy hub. 
• The original home of Boeing is now the land of numerous green aviation ventures including ZeroAvia, magniX and efforts to produce sustainable aviation fuel.”

Geekwire also writes that CCA “auctions pay for programs that directly and indirectly benefit the tech sector, supporting job creation and climate tech companies working on decarbonization. Examples of these expenditures from the state’s 2023-25 biennium budget include:

• $60 million for the state’s Clean Energy Fund, which helps pay for grid modernization, clean energy deployment and other efforts
• $20 million for the Pacific Northwest’s hydrogen hub, a coalition working to develop the region’s hydrogen economy
• $7.5 million for University of Washington’s Clean Energy Testbeds, which supports clean energy startups
• $7.2 million for Washington State University’s Institute for Northwest Energy Futures, which is partnering with industry to develop energy solutions

Millions of additional dollars are being allocated for solar power; initiatives to improve the permitting process for clean energy deployment; port decarbonization, including electrifying drayage trucks that move cargo; and railway electrification.”

Last month the Washington State Department of Commerce announced 46 grants funded by the Climate Commitment Act (with additional state funding) to boost clean energy technology innovation and support clean energy planning, design and construction projects throughout the state. Projects include:

• a 610 kW agrivoltaic project in existing WSU apple orchards to provide controlled shading for trees, increase the yield of harvestable fruit and offset agricultural electricity usage.
• industrial decarbonization at the Lamb Weston Pasco facility that produces over 300 million pounds of potato products annually.
• a transportable, electrically powered Turbo Heater demonstration package to be integrated into a Washington state pulp and paper mill for an industrial demonstration operation.

“Washington state has become a leader in the most innovative and important sectors of addressing climate change and creating clean energy jobs,” says Clean & Prosperous Washington Executive Director Michael Mann. “And the Climate Commitment Act has accelerated that massively over the past two years.”

The Lynnwood Times reports that multiple job creators are setting up shop in Washington state. “Sweden’s Echandia is the second maritime-battery firm to start production in Washington, after Norwegian-owned Corvus Energy opened at the Port of Bellingham in January of 2023, following a growing trend of renewable energy companies setting up shop in the Evergreen state. Washington is now home to electric plane manufacturer ZeroAvia, electric powertrain manufacturer MagniX, electric truck and bus manufacturer Vicinity Motor Corp, two leading battery manufacturing companies Sila and Group14 in Moses Lake, and Silfab Solar which is North America’s leading solar panel manufacturer.”

“Harry Birak, Business Development Manager with the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness, shared with the Lynnwood Times that Washington’s climate commitment policies is what is attracting innovative companies to the state. Since 2021 he has been recruiting, retaining and expanding Washington’s green energy industry.”

“I have always wanted to drive the clean energy technologies and clean energies industry because it is the biggest impact I can make in my life to decarbonizing the economy and making a better world for my son, so he can enjoy the natural beauty as it is and hopefully his children and his children’s children will have that same luxury,” Birak said. “I don’t want this to be a one generational issue.”