2022 is in the books, and it’s been quite a saga.
Link Source: Governor's medium page
https://medium.com/wagovernor/2022-in-review-f384b93e9f29
2022 began with a deadly surge of COVID-19 activity and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and dashed decades of hard-fought progress for reproductive rights. Congress, at long last, took action on gun violence and climate change, and sought accountability for those who tried to overthrow the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2020.
2022 was a year that showed how interconnected we are - the actions of one person, country, or nation can affect the lives and livelihoods of millions. During Gov. Jay Inslee’s State of the State address delivered in early January, Inslee committed to “Action… this Day.” Here’s a look at how Washington state leaders and communities took action to face the challenges and seize the opportunities of 2022.
Action for the planet
The Legislature approved an array of bills to modernize and promote clean transit and transportation options and clean buildings. Other bills were signed to protect salmon, advance clean manufacturing, and site clean energy infrastructure.
President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in August. The legislation represented the federal government’s most significant action on climate change to date, with important federal investments in clean energy and transportation to put the U.S. on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 40 percent by 2030.
“These long-sought measures, part of the single largest investment to address climate change in American history, should rightfully encourage both our state and the federal governments to take further necessary steps,” said Inslee.
In September, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration deemed that the four lower Snake River dams must be breached to save native salmon and steelhead. Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray launched a joint federal-state process to determine that state and federal governments should implement a plan to replace the dams’ energy generation, irrigation, and transportation benefits to enable breaching to move forward.
Action for choice
The United States Supreme Court handed down a fateful decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to strip patients of their rights of choice and reproductive freedom.
Inslee, lawmakers, and reproductive health experts and advocates reacted swiftly to assure abortion rights and access remain secure in Washington. In June, Inslee and the governors of California and Oregon issued a Multi-State Commitment to defend access to abortion care and contraception. Inslee also approved $1 million to help reproductive care clinics handle increased number of patients coming to Washington state and directed the Washington State Patrol to refuse cooperation with any investigatory requests related to abortion from anti-choice states.
In October, Inslee and legislators proposed legislation to further advance abortion rights and access, including a constitutional amendment that expressly establishes a fundamental right to abortion and to choose or refuse contraceptives.
In the past two years, legislators significantly scaled up investments in housing and support services to help alleviate the growing numbers of people experiencing homelessness. This included funding for a new Rapid Capital Acquisition program that is being used to create over 4,400 supportive housing units by converting underutilized motels or apartment buildings to shelters.
This program allowed the state to launch a new Rights of Way Safety Initiative in the summer, focused on helping people living in dangerous roadside encampments transition to safer supportive housing. In King County, state and local agencies collaborated to bring 75 people inside from one site alone. In Spokane County, the program is being used to close Camp Hope, the state’s largest encampment. Partnerships are also underway in Thurston, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.
“It’s not just the roof,” said Inslee during a visit to a Vancouver tiny home project. “It’s the mental health support, it’s the chemical addiction issues, it’s the medical-assisted treatment.”
Federal pandemic relief funding that helped launch these ambitious programs is expiring. To sustain them and further address the main driver of homelessness — lack of housing — Inslee is proposing “urgent and audacious” action in the upcoming legislative session to speed up housing construction. An estimated 1 million housing units must be built in the next twenty years to keep up with population growth. Inslee is proposing a $4 billion referendum that would accelerate construction of affordable and supportive housing all across the state in the next six years.
Action for equity
In April, tribal representatives came together for a momentous signing of a first-in-the-nation alert system for missing Indigenous people. Indigenous women have long been disproportionately victimized by abduction, trafficking, sexual assault, and homicide. From July through November, the Missing Indigenous Persons Alert system was activated 17 times and contributed to the recovery of 13 missing persons.
Inslee also rescinded an outdated and overly restrictive affirmative action directive and committed anew to dissolve barriers in the way of equitable public contracting, education, employment, and services. He also issued an Executive Order in March to require that every state agency adopt a Pro-Equity Anti-Racism plan to achieve outcomes that benefit every Washingtonian and eliminate barriers to services based on race, ethnicity, gender, and other characteristics.
Action against gun violence
Gun violence takes many forms including death by suicide, mass shootings, domestic violence and community violence. Washington voters and legislators have a strong history of supporting commonsense measures to reduce gun violence, but more work remains.
A statewide high-capacity magazine ban took effect in July, and the legislature also passed additional bills this year to ban untraceable firearms sometimes known as “ghost guns,” and to prohibit firearms in certain locations such as school board meetings or polling places.
In December, Inslee joined fellow legislators and advocates and victims to propose a new package of legislation to require a permit to purchase a firearm, ban assault weapons, and hold gun manufacturers accountable for irresponsible practices.
2022 also saw the United States Congress take long-overdue action with the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act one month after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The law requires background checks of gun buyers under 21 years of age.
Photo of Gov. Inslee seated at an ornate wood table, signing a bill. Standing behind him are about a dozen people, many wearing orange, who are clapping.
Gov. Jay Inslee signs firearms bills HB 1630 (restricting possession of weapons in certain public locations), HB 1705 (prohibiting “ghost guns”) and SB 5078 (restricting high-capacity magazines) on March 23, 2022.
Action for mental health
Starting with the 2022 school year, students in Washington state may take excused absences to take care of their mental health. Legislators made historic investments to help schools hire more nurses, counselors and social workers, while also funding important new resources for youth and children with complex behavioral health needs.
Photo Gov. Jay Inslee posing with a few dozen men and women in a courtyard area in front of a large brick building. He is holding a large sign with hand-written messages of thanks and appreciation.
Gov. Jay Inslee poses with MultiCare and Tacoma Public School staff outside the new school-based health center at Mount Tahoma High School. The health center is staffed once a week by a professional psychiatrist, putting mental health support within easy reach for students.
Washington state also launched its 9–8–8 crisis lifeline in 2022. Support is now just three digits away for people experiencing a behavioral health or substance use disorder crisis. While 9–8–8 is now a national network, Washington state’s system is a cut above. Dedicated hotlines offer special resources to at-risk groups, including the Veterans Line, the Trevor Line for LGBTQ+ callers, and a first-in-the-nation Native and Strong Lifeline for native callers. Once fully implemented, the system will include new capabilities to deploy mobile crisis teams and connect people directly to providers and services.
Gov. Jay Inslee poses for a photo with a small group of eight legislators, behavioral health experts, and Volunteers of America Western Washington call center staff.
Gov. Jay Inslee visited the Volunteers of America Western Washington call center in Everett in July. The call center is one of the hubs for the statewide 9–8–8 crisis lifeline network. The call center’s operators receive crisis intervention training and help Washingtonians work through crises and find local supports.
Action against COVID-19
For more than two long years, wave after deadly wave of COVID-19 beset America and the world, and disrupted daily life and commerce. 2022 began with astonishing viral activity in Washington state, overwhelming hospitals and requiring the governor to activate the National Guard in support.
As the year continued and the lifesaving effectiveness of broadly available vaccines and therapeutics was demonstrated, many states ended their emergency orders including Washington state.
On Oct. 31, 2022, Washington’s state of emergency lapsed and Inslee rescinded all remaining emergency orders.
The first lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 and first confirmed COVID-19 death was in Washington state in 2020. The state’s decisive and strong public health response resulted in Washington having one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the country.
A timeline of COVID-19 history in Washington state. The first confirmed COVID-19 case in the United States was found in Washington state on Jan. 21, 2020.
The nation’s first case of COVID-19 was discovered in Washington state, beginning a years-long pandemic that claimed thousands of lives. On Oct. 31, 2022, the last of the governor’s emergency orders were rescinded and the state of emergency ended.
Best wishes for 2023
It’s always fun to end with an animal photo, so that’s how we’ll choose to wrap up 2022. Last month, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife celebrated the retirement of a beloved colleague — Colter, the Karelian bear dog who helped scare hundreds of bears and mountain lions away from populated areas. To conclude his distinguished 14-year career, the governor rewarded him with a ceremonial retirement, and some treats.
May your 2023 be as warm and peaceful as Colter’s is sure to be.
Gov. Jay Inslee pets Colter, a big fluffy Karelian bear dog during Colter’s retirement ceremony.
Colter, a Karelian Bear Dog employed for 14 years by the Department of Fish and Wildlife to ward bears and mountain lions away from populated areas, was recognized and retired in November.
If one of your new year goals is to stay current with legislative and statewide news, subscribe to the governor’s weekly newsletter.
Action for mental health
Starting with the 2022 school year, students in Washington state may take excused absences to take care of their mental health. Legislators made historic investments to help schools hire more nurses, counselors and social workers, while also funding important new resources for youth and children with complex behavioral health needs.
Washington state also launched its 9–8–8 crisis lifeline in 2022. Support is now just three digits away for people experiencing a behavioral health or substance use disorder crisis. While 9–8–8 is now a national network, Washington state’s system is a cut above. Dedicated hotlines offer special resources to at-risk groups, including the Veterans Line, the Trevor Line for LGBTQ+ callers, and a first-in-the-nation Native and Strong Lifeline for native callers. Once fully implemented, the system will include new capabilities to deploy mobile crisis teams and connect people directly to providers and services.
Action against COVID-19
For more than two long years, wave after deadly wave of COVID-19 beset America and the world, and disrupted daily life and commerce. 2022 began with astonishing viral activity in Washington state, overwhelming hospitals and requiring the governor to activate the National Guard in support.
As the year continued and the lifesaving effectiveness of broadly available vaccines and therapeutics was demonstrated, many states ended their emergency orders including Washington state.
On Oct. 31, 2022, Washington’s state of emergency lapsed and Inslee rescinded all remaining emergency orders.
The first lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 and first confirmed COVID-19 death was in Washington state in 2020. The state’s decisive and strong public health response resulted in Washington having one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the country.
Best wishes for 2023
It’s always fun to end with an animal photo, so that’s how we’ll choose to wrap up 2022. Last month, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife celebrated the retirement of a beloved colleague — Colter, the Karelian bear dog who helped scare hundreds of bears and mountain lions away from populated areas. To conclude his distinguished 14-year career, the governor rewarded him with a ceremonial retirement, and some treats.
May your 2023 be as warm and peaceful as Colter’s is sure to be.
IN OTHER STATE NEWS HEADLINES
Inslee appoints Brandon Mack to Jefferson County Superior Court.--From the Governor's office
Temporary Location of Washington Supreme Court and State Law Library Open to Public January 4
(2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO DC
Senator Murray Statement on the Japanese American Confinement Education Act Being Signed into Law--From Sen. Murray's office
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement after President Joe Biden recently signed the Norman Y. Mineta Japanese American Confinement Education Act into law. The bill, authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and cosponsored by Senator Murray, will reauthorize funding for the Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) program to preserve internment camps across the country. The new law, which was included in the government funding bill last month, will also create a new $10 million federal grant program to promote education regarding Japanese American internment.
“One of the most painful memories in American history was the internment of Japanese American citizens during World War II. This egregious order broke up thousands of families across the country, and right here in Washington state,” said Senator Murray. “We owe it to the survivors and their families to tell their story and make sure everyone understands that our neighbors, friends, and colleagues lost their freedom and their rights the day that executive order was issued. I cosponsored this bill to ensure we have the resources necessary to preserve internment sites and to educate Americans across the country about Japanese American confinement.”
In one of the largest violations of civil rights in United States history, the federal government forced approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans from their homes and into internment camps during World War II. While the United States provided a formal apology and compensation to surviving victims in the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 and created the JACS program in 2006, it is critical to continue efforts to educate the public, preserve these sites, and honor the brave Japanese Americans who were subjected to internment.
The Norman Y. Mineta Japanese American Confinement Education Act will reauthorize funding for the JACS program to continue the preservation of these sites — including the Honouliuli Internment Camp in Hawai‘i. The bill will also create a new $10 million competitive grant program to educate individuals on the historical importance of Japanese American confinement during World War II, ensuring that present and future generations learn from Japanese American confinement and continue the commitment of the United States to equal justice under the law.
The bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).
Groups supporting the legislation include Japanese American Citizens League, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation, Japanese American National Museum, National Japanese American Historical Society, JACS Consortium, Anti-Defamation League, Fred T. Korematsu Institute, OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation, and Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii.
In other congressional news...
Senator Murray on FDA Allowing Pharmacies to Offer Medication Abortion.--from Sen. Murray's office
* Editorial note: More evidence of barbarism from the democratic liberals!
(3) WORLD & NATIONAL HEADLINES
Leaders on All Sides of Palestinian Question Must Help Alleviate Tensions, Maintain Status Quo at Jerusalem’s Holy Sites, Senior Peace Official Tells Security Council--UN PRESS RELEASE
Leaders on all sides of the Palestinian question must help lower the flames of tension and maintain the status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites, the Organization’s senior peace official appealed during his address to the Security Council today.
Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, addressed the 15-member body in the aftermath of Israel’s new Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir’s 3 January visit to the holy sites in Jerusalem, along with a heavy security detail. The visit is seen as particularly inflammatory given the Minister’s past advocacy for changes to the status quo, he pointed out.
Also noting that this was the first visit to the site by an Israeli minister since 2017, he added that the visit was sharply condemned by the Palestinian Authority and others as a provocation while Israel’s Prime Minister as well as senior Government officials emphasized commitment to upholding the status quo.
Warning that any incident or tension at the holy sites can spill over and cause violence throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in Israel, and elsewhere in the region, he reiterated the Secretary-General’s call for all parties to refrain from escalations and uphold the status quo, in line with the special role of Jordan.
In the ensuing debate, the representative of Israel said the Council’s meeting on this topic creates a sense of urgency over the non-event posed by the peaceful 13-minute visit of a Jewish minister to the holiest Jewish site. For years, the Palestinians have orchestrated a poisonous campaign to obliterate any trace or connection between the Jewish people and the Temple Mount, which is the exact point towards which every Jew is commanded to pray three times a day, he said.
Further, he added, from 1948 after Jordan occupied East Jerusalem during Israel’s war of independence, the Jordanians decimated Jewish life in Jerusalem and forbid Jews from accessing their holy site. Minister Ben-Gvir's recent visit to the Temple Mount was not an intrusion into Al-Aqsa and was in line with the status quo and whoever claims otherwise is only inflaming the situation, he said. “The status quo maintains that Jews may visit the site and it is the right of every Jew to do so,” he said.
However, the observer for the State of Palestine countered that Israel’s actions have nothing to do with religious freedom, and everything to do with the unlawful attempt to alter the character, status and identity of the city. Minister Ben-Gvir came to the mosque to pursue his extremist agenda and end the historic status quo, he said, highlighting the meaning of the temporal and spatial division of Al-Haram for Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims around the world.
Further, he pointed out, Al-Haram Al-Sharif is in occupied East Jerusalem, an integral part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which Israel has no claim and no right to sovereignty over. Jerusalem is a city of pluralism and diversity, and its historic status quo is not just a legacy of the past, but also a safe passage to a peaceful future, he said. In his role as Chairman of the Arab Group for January, he called on Israel to respect the historic status quo of the Mosque and uphold that of Haram al-Sharif, including the full area of 144,000 square metres, which is for the exclusive worship of Muslims.
Violating the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque is provocative and deplorable, Jordan’s representative said, reaffirming the Hashemite custodianship of the holy sites and highlighting the leadership of King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein in protecting them. He also stressed the importance of restoring the pre-2000 situation, which guarantees that the Mosque and Haram al-Sharif is an exclusive place of worship for Muslims, with Jerusalem Awqaf and the Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Administration being the sole authorities empowered to manage them. Minister Ben-Gvir’s storming took place without the agreement of the Awqaf Administration, which violates the historic status quo, he said.
Council members urged all sides to exercise restraint and refrain from provocative actions and rhetoric, with the representative of the United States underscoring his Government’s support for the preservation of the historic status quo. Noting that Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s governmental platform calls for its preservation, he encouraged the Government of Israel to uphold that commitment. He also expressed concern over the rising number of deaths in recent months and urged both sides to restore calm and preserve the possibility of a two-State solution.
The representative of the United Arab Emirates condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard by an Israeli minister under the protection of Israeli forces as well as the vandalization of the Christian cemetery on Mount Zion. Those responsible for trampling the graves and desecrating the sanctity of this landmark must be held accountable, he said, highlighting Jordan’s custodial role over the holy sites, and the mandate of the Administration of Jerusalem’s Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs to manage all the affairs of Haram al-Sharif, including its entry procedures.
Switzerland’s delegate welcomed Prime Minister Netanyahu’s 3 January affirmation of Israel’s commitment to preserving the status. Drawing attention to the record number of Palestinian civilian deaths last year and the deadly attacks in Israel, she said the visit of the new Israeli Minister of National Security to the Esplanade of the Mosques is cause for concern. The parties must address the root causes of the conflict and restore a political horizon for a negotiated two-state solution, she said.
Also speaking today were the representatives of China, Albania, Russian Federation, Gabon, Malta, Brazil, Ghana, Mozambique, Ecuador, United Kingdom, France and Japan.
IN OTHER WORLD NEWS HEADLINES...
Myanmar: Hundreds of political prisoners released, but thousands remain in jail--UN NEWS CENTER
Zambia: Abolition of the death penalty ‘a historic milestone’
The decision by Zambia to abolish the death penalty is “a historic milestone’, the UN team in the country said on Friday in a statement. ---UN NEWS CENTER
Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Chemical Weapons in Syria--USUN
New Sanctions Targeting Iran’s UAV and Ballistic Missile Industries--US STATE DEPT.
* NATIONAL
Statement from President Joe Biden on the 160th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation--WH
On New Year’s Day, 160 years ago today, President Abraham Lincoln changed America’s destiny forever. We were at the height of a raging Civil War, “a house divided” along the dangerous fault line of slavery. During the one hundred days after the battle at Antietam, where more American soldiers were lost in a single day than in any other war, President Lincoln engaged in months of cautious deliberation. His duty, he felt, was to do more than what he personally believed was morally right, but to represent the will of a fractured people.
On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln finally issued the Emancipation Proclamation, ending slavery in states that rebelled against the Union, but preserving the institution in states that remained within the Union. It was not a perfect solution, but it began the active pursuit of perfection, the quest that persists to this day to realize the full promise of democracy in America. With the stroke of a pen, President Lincoln aligned the future of our Nation with the challenge of our world, to end humanity’s war against itself, to recognize there is more that unites us than could ever divide us, and to finally reconcile ourselves with one another in peace.
The Emancipation Proclamation became an inspiration to thousands of Americans who celebrated all across the Nation that New Year’s Day long into the night. Afterwards, every Union victory became a greater sign that justice could conquer injustice, that freedom would triumph over bondage, and that the battle cry of our Nation was freedom and justice for all.
On this New Year’s Day, let us add our voices to those of the ages, to celebrate the unity that is the sacred mission of our Nation. Let us rejoice that freedom is our goal, and let us set aside our differences, break through bitter and divisive partisanship, our finger pointing and blame, and rise up to meet our great calling as a Nation. Let us do all we can in 2023 to create “a new birth of freedom” in the United States and ensure that “government of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish,” but will shine like a sun, a beacon to all people, demonstrating that from the many our great Nation can become one.
IN OTHER NATIONAL NEWS
Antarctica Bound for Operation Deep Freeze 2023
Crew members aboard the Coast Guard cutter Polar Star spent the last days of 2022 peeping penguins and navigating through pack ice in the Southern Ocean, as the United States' only heavy icebreaker conducts its annual mission for Operation Deep Freeze. --DOD
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona Statement on Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations--DEPT. of EDUCATION
HUD AWARDS $24.7 MILLION TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY LIVING FOR NON-ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the award of $24.7 million to 98 local public housing authorities (PHAs) across the country to provide permanent affordable housing to non-elderly persons with disabilities. This award allows these PHAs to house up to 2,210 additional families, and further support community integration for persons with disabilities.--HUD
(4) BUSINESS HEADLINES
Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association receives positive review on US Dept. of Energy Hydrogen Hub proposal--WA COMMERCE DEPT.
Joint Washington-Oregon regional concept paper one of 33 out of 79 proposals to receive encouragement to proceed toward potential billion-dollar federal funding award
Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association logoSEATTLE, WA — Backed by a letter of encouragement from the US Department of Energy (DOE), the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association (PNWH2) will submit a full application for funding to construct a regional clean hydrogen hub in the Pacific Northwest. PNWH2’s concept paper is one of 33 concept papers given the greenlight to proceed from among 79 submitted to DOE late last year. In the Dec. 27 letter of encouragement, DOE said it expects to review and select six to 10 of the full applications for federal funding estimated at around $1 billion per hub.
PNWH2 Chair Lisa Brown, Director of the Washington State Department of Commerce, and Vice Chair Janine Benner, Director of the Oregon Department of Energy, shared a joint statement reacting to the news:
“We are grateful to receive encouragement from Department of Energy on the PNWH2 Hub’s concept paper. This is an important milestone in the process to create a dynamic hydrogen market and supply chain in the Pacific Northwest, and we are pleased to see that DOE valued the ideas submitted last month,” said Brown and Benner. “We now turn our attention to the full application process and competing for the hub funding. The PNWH2 is leveraging vast amounts of green power in the Pacific Northwest, expanding our commitment to community engagement and environmental justice, and deepening our partnerships with labor, tribal nations, and public and private sectors to bring this industry of the future and green jobs to the region.”
The PNWH2 is a public-private partnership created in the spring of 2022 as a special purpose entity to apply for the DOE Hydrogen Hubs program with support from Washington Governor Jay Inslee and subsequent funding from the Washington legislature. PNWH2 enlisted a board of directors that includes representatives from tribal nations, labor, business and industry, universities, and the environmental community spanning Oregon and Washington.
The PNWH2 submitted a 20-page concept paper to DOE outlining the potential for a robust network of hydrogen suppliers and off-takers largely in both western and eastern parts of Oregon and Washington. The concept paper also outlined the potential for uses in transportation, industrial and agriculture sectors, as well as the rapidly expanding advanced zero-carbon aviation sector. Although a list of final projects was not determined prior to the concept paper deadline, the PNWH2, led by its prime contractor Atkins Global, is working to complete deeper analysis and review of the more than 100 projects that responded with interest in participating in the PNWH2 final proposal. The full applications are due to DOE on April 7, 2023.
This notification was the latest step in the DOE’s initiative to build a network of hydrogen hubs across the US in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change. If selected, the PNWH2 Hub would receive an estimated $1 billion, providing a catalyst for the hydrogen economy in the Pacific Northwest that could bring tens of thousands of jobs to the region. Additionally, there is an expectation that the federal funding would be matched by private investment.
In 2020, prior to the announcement of the DOE Hydrogen Hubs initiative, the Washington State Department of Commerce launched the Innovation Cluster Acceleration program (ICAP) which included the newly formed Consortium for Hydrogen and Renewably Generated E-Fuels (CHARGE). CHARGE’s mission to grow the economy in the hydrogen and e-fuels space led to early coordination of many of the interested hydrogen stakeholders in the public and private sectors, putting the region in an advantageous position to compete for the DOE Hubs funding. CHARGE mobilized support from Commerce, Washington State University, and its parent organization JCDREAM to complete significant engagement and analysis of the region’s capabilities prior to the hub program’s official DOE launch.
“It is great to see DOE respond positively to the PNWH2 concept paper and officially encourage the completion of a full application,” said Aaron Feaver, Director of CHARGE and JCDREAM. “There really isn’t a better place in the world to invest these funds. The Pacific Northwest was well prepared for this opportunity with a commitment to low-carbon fuels and environmental stewardship that is second to none, the availability of cheap, green power and a long-standing commitment to environmental justice and community engagement all matching DOE specific requirements – It’s like we were built for this.”
* IN OTHER BUSINESS HEADLINES...
The United States and Türkiye Take Joint Action to Disrupt ISIS Financing---Dept. of Treasury
Thoughts on Inflation in a Supply-Constrained Economy--THE FED
Final 2022 quarterly estimated tax payment due January 17--IRS
(5) LOCAL MEETINGS
CLALLAM COUNTY.
Clallam County Commission work session for 1/9/23
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01092023-527
Clallam County Commission meeting for 1/10/23
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01102023-526
Port of Port Angeles Commission meeting for 1/10/23
https://www.portofpa.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01102023-646
City of Sequim Council meeting for 1/9/23
https://www.sequimwa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2740
* A Regular Meeting of the Forks City Council will be held online January 9, 2023 at 7:30 pm.
No agenda was posted on Fork's page
https://forkswashington.org/document-category/council-agendas/
Clallam County PUD meeting for 1/9/23
https://clallampud.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-9-23-WEB-Packet-1.pdf
Clallam Housing Solutions meeting for 1/9/23
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01062023-513
PASD Board Meeting
When: Thu, January 12, 6pm – 8pm
Where: 905 W 9th St, Port Angeles, WA 98363, USA (map)
Description
Regular meetings are usually scheduled on the second and fourth Thursday of each month, beginning at 6:00 p.m. All meetings are open to the public. Call 360.565.3702 for information.
JEFFERSON COUNTY MEETINGS.
Jefferson County Commission meeting for 1/9/23
https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/4219868b-919a-4db6-b796-2d8a860da1d4
PORT TOWNSEND CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING AGENDA
FOR 1/9/23
https://cityofpt.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=1963
Port of Port Townsend Commission meeting for 1/11/23
https://portofpt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-01-11-Comm-Mtg-Agenda.pdf
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