Washington’s economy has always been based on making the things the rest of the world needs. Whether it’s airplanes at Boeing or software at Microsoft, the products we make in the Northwest have made us a living. Increasingly, our region is getting really good at developing products that allow us to
use and produce energy more efficiently. This can have dramatic implications for the environment, our national security and our energy costs.
The products I’m talking about are from big companies like Boeing and small startups that have a good clean technology idea that can make money and, at the same time, reduce the strain on our environment. These products are made by people who may have different beliefs about how or why climate change is happening, but they all believe the best way to prepare for the future is a way that creates jobs, saves money and keeps our environment clean.
There are a number of clean technologies that fit right in with our existing economy. A great example can be seen in the aviation biofuels sector. Specifically, the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest initiative is a cooperative effort between Boeing, Washington State University, Alaska Airlines, the Ports of Seattle and Portland and Spokane International Airport. They’ve partnered with over 40 regional firms and organizations along the fuel supply chain. The purpose is to make our region one of the first in the world to develop commercial and military biofuel that reduces environmental impacts and our dependence on foreign oil.
Cutting that dependence is important because whenever there are problems in oil-producing regions like the Middle East, it affects the price of oil, and unstable oil prices make it harder for airlines like Alaska to do business. And if Alaska is hurting, it doesn’t buy airplanes from Boeing. This oil dependency problem is why President Obama recently called for reducing U.S. oil imports by a third over 10 years. A reliable, domestic low-carbon source of aviation fuel is as important for our job market as it is for our environment.
“Aviation leaders recognize that their industry has a critical need for sustainable alternatives to petroleum,” says Ross Macfarlane, an adviser for Climate Solutions, a group that is working on the aviation biofuel project. “For our region, there is a unique opportunity to create new jobs and new companies that partner with a traditional power house sector that includes Boeing.”
It’s simple to see that there are as many economic reasons as environmental ones to innovate toward cleaner technology. Other local organizations are doing just that.
McKinstry, a Seattle building engineering company, has created the McKinstry Innovation Center. The Center provides workspaces for up-and-coming clean tech companies as well as mentoring for their business leaders. McKinstry has long been a leader in Washington in designing innovative, more efficient, and sustainable buildings. Now it’s helping to build innovative clean tech companies as well.
Other organizations are creating a climate for innovation, too. The Cascade Land Conservancy advocates for prosperous, livable communities in Washington while preserving existing forests and farmland. The Washington Clean Technology Alliance is a trade association that supports its member businesses by offering services, networking, and government advocacy on clean tech policy in Olympia.
What do all of these organizations have in common? They understand that growing Washington’s economy means creating an environment that encourages the right kind of innovation. That’s innovation that creates products the rest of the world needs and provides jobs while preserving our planet. What would that look like? Maybe it’s a jetliner built in Everett taking off from Paine Field and soaring over the farmlands that fuel it.
Tom Ranken is CEO of the Washington Clean Technology Alliance.
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