WASHINGTONSTATE
CLEAN TECHNOLOGYCHANGING THE FUTURE OF ENERGYWith 50,000 miles of rivers and streams generating
enough clean hydroelectric energy to supply
nearly three-quarters of the state’s power needs,Washington State is a natural choice for thedevelopment and deployment of next-generation
clean technology products and services.
As the nation’s low-cost electricity leader (as lowas 4.25¢ per kWh), Washington State’s researchers
and businesses are continually bringing new ideas
to the table, capitalizing on the state’s uniqueculture of collaboration and cross-pollinationthat utilizes best-in-class ideas gleaned from theinformation technology, aerospace, advanced
manufacturing and clean technology sectors to find
new methods for creating, storing and managing
energy resources.
Washington’s main focus in this area is onalternative and renewable energy, pollution

Washington State Department of Commerce

reduction, grid management and large-scalestorage. More than 92,000 scientists, researchers,technicians and specialists are employed in theclean technology sector, supported by nearly$200 million in venture capital and some of theleading research labs in the country, including
the University of Washington, Washington State
University and the Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory – one of only 10 such federal researchlabs in the United States.
They are joined by 100+ companies that are leading
the way in finding new solutions to the complex
issues of energy production, storage, conservationand management in the areas of biomass, biofuels,ocean, solar and wind as well as traditional energy
sources.

A
CLEAN ENERGY
POWERHOUSE

www.choosewashingtonstate.com

CLEAN TECHNOLOGY - SECTOR OVERVIEW
Washington’s clean technology sector covers a wide
range of processes, services and products, frompublic and mass transit programs to sustainable
forestry products and green architecture andconstruction. Jobs in the clean technology
sector are growing at a rate slightly faster than
Washington jobs as a whole. In a recent four-year
period, the sector added more than 8,000 jobs,
achieving a growth rate of 9.7%.
Part of this growth comes in clean tech industries
such as lighting, appliances and HVAC andbuilding control systems. Companies are able
to tap into Washington’s robust information andcommunication technology (ICT) sector, sharing
new ideas in software, hardware, cloud computing,smart homes and transportation systems thatcan be applied to the clean technology sector. A
good example of this can be found in grid-scalebatteries, system controllers and software thatallow integrated units to capture, store and deliver

Washington State Department of Commerceelectrical energy generated from renewablesources. Public utilities and clean tech companies
are partnering to develop new vanadium-flow andlithium-ion battery-based systems to demonstrate
their potential in a smart grid environment.
Companies in Washington hold hundreds ofpatents in clean technology, serving more thana dozen different sub-sectors. Their work is
supported by a network of trade and industry
organizations, including the CleanTech Alliance,Washington Technology Industry Association andNorthwest Energy Efficiency Council. The clean
tech industry gets the enthusiastic support ofWashington State government at all levels, right up
to the Governor’s office. Combined with incentives
and R&D funding, Washington State can bring new
ideas from conceptualization to market quickly.

TOP 10 FASTEST GROWING INDUSTRIESIN WASHINGTON STATELightingAppliances
HVAC & Building Control Systems
Energy Saving Consumer Products
Solar, Thermal
Solar, Photovoltaic
Wind
Recycling & Reuse
Organic Food & Sustainable Farming
Green Architecture & Construction Services

152.9%
106.7%
72.4%
51.9%
51.3%
51.2%
38.0%
33.4%
23.2%
21.6%

TOP PROJECTSNorthwest Innovation Works – $1.8 billion project
to build the most efficient and lowest carbonintensive natural gas to methanol conversion
plant in the world to replace methanol produced in
China using gasified coal. Project is the first to use
Washington’s carbon-free electricity to replace afossil fuel production process.
Amazon EcoDistrict Project – A unique partnership
between developers and utilities, this Clean Energy
Fund project recycles excess waste heat from adowntown Seattle server farm to Amazon’s newworld headquarters across the street, reducing thecomplex’s carbon footprint.

engagement strategies and policies will serve as
the foundation for the nation’s next-generation
smart grid management systems.
Grid-Scale Battery Storage – $28 million in
Clean Energy Fund grants has been invested
in groundbreaking research, development anddemonstration projects involving three of the state’s
largest public- and investor-owned utilities toevaluate the technical and economic advantages ofgrid-scale battery storage systems.

Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration
Project – Managed by the Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, this smart grid demonstration
covers 60,000 metered customers acrossfive western states. The resulting pioneering
technology, utility applications, customer

www.choosewashingtonstate.com

THE FUTURE OF CLEAN TECHNOLOGY
Washington continues to invest heavily in the futureof clean technology. The state’s voters passedlegislation that mandates that 15% of Washington’senergy going forward comes from new energy
sources such as wind, tidal, biofuel and solar.
To attract new clean technology companies tocome to Washington, the state offers a number ofincentives, including:••••Business and occupation tax reductions
for manufacturers of solar energy systems,components or semiconductor materials.
Sales and tax exemptions for semiconductor
gases and chemical purchases.
Sales and tax credits for equipment thatgenerates electricity using renewable energy.
Business and occupation tax credits and sales
tax exemptions for forest-derived biomass
harvesters.

Another key part of the state’s clean energy strategy
is the Clean Energy Fund. This fund is driving
innovation and development of new clean energy
technologies that save energy, reduce energy costs,
lower harmful emissions, or otherwise increaseenergy independence throughout the state. The
Washington State Legislature allocated $36 million
in funding for the program in 2013-15 and anadditional $40 million for 2016-17.
Through this fund, researchers, organizations
and utilities can get matching grants to explore
a range of promising technologies or to support
advanced solar or renewable energy manufacturingin the state. Utilities can use funds to exploretransmission and distribution control system
improvements to increase the reliability andintegration of distributed and renewable resources
and technologies to retail customers. There arealso grants designed to match federal funds orother non-state funding sources in order to conduct
research and to develop and demonstrate newclean energy technologies and systems.

CONTACT OUR CLEAN TECHNOLOGY TEAM TODAY!
If you’re a company exploring or producing nextgeneration clean energy products, technologies orconcepts, even those still on the drawing boards,
come to Washington State.
Our culture of innovation and invention offers you
dynamic partnerships with other high performing
companies; a workforce of highly-skilled, out-of-thebox thinkers; a pro-business environment in which
there’s no such thing as a personal income tax; anda stunning natural landscape that will inspire you tocreate and succeed in exploring new energy sources
and technologies that protect the environment andreduce our carbon footprint.

Washington State Department of Commerce

CONTACT US
To learn more about Washington’s clean techindustry, whether you’re a startup bent on bringing
the next big thing to market or a multinational firmlooking for new investment or growth opportunities,
contact one of our business experts at theWashington State Department of Commerce.
Give us a call at (206) 256-6100 or email us at
moreinfo@choosewashington.com and we’ll behappy to answer your questions and help yourcompany succeed in Washington State.
Visit us online at www.choosewashingtonstate.com

Washington State Department of Commerce