Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced that the state will get fund for greener ferries. The state will receive $35 million from the federal Volkswagen settlement to retrofit the Tacoma, Wenatchee and Puyallup.

"Converting the biggest, dirtiest ferries in the fleet is a huge milestone in our efforts to decarbonize the state and fulfill our obligation to help defeat climate change. In addition to reducing emissions, moving to an all-electric ferry fleet will save taxpayers money on ferry operating costs, virtually eliminate engine noise and vibration that can hurt orca whales, and improve reliability of service,” stated Governor Jay Inslee.

In September 2019, WSF selected Siemens to complete the propulsion system upgrade design for the three Jumbo Mark II Class vessels. The vessel conversion is suppossed to begin this month and the construction will begin in 2021.
 

“At WSDOT we’re always looking for innovative solutions. We are repurposing ferries in the middle of their service life, so they can continue serving Washingtonians for years to come in the most efficient, greenest way possible. This type of innovation and new technology will allow us to better serve our customers and manage growth,” stated Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar.

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