Webinar recording now available:

Rubber, Meet Road: Meeting Washington State’s Transportation Decarbonization challenge in the Decisive Decade

Wow — what a webinar!

When we prepared our webinar on meeting Washington’s transportation decarbonization challenge, we knew we had a powerhouse panel. But we didn’t know it would include Washington’s Secretary of State! Just hours before our Wednesday webinar, Governor Inslee announced the appointment of Senate Transportation Committee Chair Steve Hobbs to the post of Washington Secretary of State. He will replace Kim Wyman, who will leave office to take a key election security job in the Biden administration. She said Hobbs “has a demonstrated record of seeking bipartisan solutions to complex problems, which is essential to the position of secretary of state.”

During our webinar, Hobbs offered advice to all of us who continue the essential work toward decarbonizing transportation and improving our quality of life. Port of Seattle Commission President Fred Felleman discussed the complex interdependence of ports, ships, trucking companies, and the communities that surround the ports as work proceeds toward decarbonization. Starline Collection CEO Gladys Gillis noted the need for incentives to help small businesses transition to clean energy, and for collaboration between businesses, power providers, and the state to make sure electrification pencils out for everyone. Ray Manalo, manager of the largest fleet of electric school buses in the nation (Twin Rivers Unified School District, CA) emphasized the importance of planning, and provided concrete examples that were thought-provoking and relevant even for those of us who aren’t fleet managers.