||| FROM KIRO 7 NEWS |||
KITSAP COUNTY, Wash. — Kitsap Transit has received $1.2 million from the Washington State Department of Commerce to build a prototype clean-energy fast ferry that could replace its current fleet.
On September 12, Commerce awarded Kitsap Transit $1.2 million to build an all-electric, zero-emission passenger ferry demonstration designed to replace current conventional diesel ferries.
The grant is part of Commerce’s funding for clean-energy projects designed to further the goals of the 2021 State Energy Strategy.
Kitsap Transit will work with Glosten and Bieker Boats to build a smaller-scale version of the hydrofoil and its charging infrastructure to demonstrate how an all-electric boat can be used in the future of ferry travel on Puget Sound.
A hydrofoil is a modern carbon fiber design that enables the ferry to travel faster than diesel ferries while significantly reducing the overall carbon footprint, Kitsap Transit wrote.
The new grant will be added to existing money the legislature put aside for the project but is at risk if the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) is repealed in this year’s election.
Initiative 2117 is on the ballot and if passed, would end legislation that approved the $3 billion for public transportation over the next 16 years.
If the demonstration is successful, Kitsap Transit plans to request federal funding for a full-scale version of the hydrofoil designed to carry 150 passengers.
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