Governor comes to Shoreline Community College to announce climate initiative

Board of Trustees Chair Shoubee Liaw introduces Gov. Jay Inslee
during a press conference at Shoreline Community College on April 29. 2014

Gov. Jay Inslee came to Shoreline Community College to sign an executive order intended to reduce carbon pollution in Washington and push for clean energy technologies.

At an April 29, 2014 press conference in the Professional Automotive Training Center, Inslee signed an executive order to establish the Carbon Emissions Reduction Taskforce composed of 21 leaders from business, labor, health and public interest organizations. The group will provide recommendations to the governor on design and implementation of a market-based carbon pollution program.

Inslee then kicked off the first meeting of the task force immediately following the press event. The Governor directed the taskforce to consider measures to offset costs to consumers and businesses and to design strategies to help energy-intensive industries transition from carbon-based energy sources.

Rod Brown of the Cascadia Law Group and Ada Healey of Vulcan will co-chair the taskforce. Final recommendations are due Nov. 21, 2014.

Shoreline Board of Trustees Chair Shoubee Liaw welcomed Inslee to campus, first at the Clean Energy Technology Center and again to introduce him at the press conference. Joining college officials at the clean-energy center were Shoreline Mayor Shari Winstead and City Manager Debbie Tarry.

Attendees at the press conference included a number of legislators, including Sen. Maralyn Chase and Rep. Ruth Kagi from the 32nd District. Also attending were Rep. Hans Dunshee, Chair of the House Capital Budget Committee; Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, Chair of the Environment Committee; Sen. Kevin Ranker, ranking member on Ways and Means; Sen. David Frockt, a member of Ways and Means and Higher Education; Sen. Christine Rolfes, a member, Early Learning and K-12 and Education.

Industry representatives attending included Steve Klein, of Klein Honda and President of the Puget Sound Auto Dealers Association, Glenn Grossenbacher, of Snap-on Industrial, and Gary Shaver, CEO of Silicon Energy. Shaver’s Marysville-based company manufactured the solar panel that served as the desk on which Inslee signed the executive order establishing the task force.

In her comments before the press conference, Chair Liaw noted that automotive center was the perfect place for Inslee’s initiative to reduce carbon emissions.

“Transportation is responsible for the majority of fuel use in this country,” Liaw said. “In this facility, we train the best technicians in the world on the latest technologies in the world to reduce our fuel usage and move toward other, more sustainable energy sources. 

“Sustainability is not just about generating clean energy, but also learning how to use less of traditional energy sources and that’s what this program and our many industry partners are committed to doing.”