Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 12, 2001
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Locke participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the clean-energy generation facility in Richland, calling it “an amazing piece of engineering and just one example of what this community is doing to help solve our energy crisis.”
The governor commended everyone at Nuvotec for adopting an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to clean-energy generation. The facility features a special process that converts industrial waste products into synthetic gas, a clean energy source.
Locke said our energy crisis is affecting every state in the West because of California’s energy crisis, low rainfall, rising power demand and other factors.
“We are building more power plants,” Locke said. “We must continue to conserve. We must help low-income citizens pay their higher utility bills. And we must continue to push the president and Congress to provide a federal solution to this energy crisis that threatens so many businesses and jobs from Washington to New Mexico, from Oregon to Wyoming.”
At the Tri-City Industrial Development Council’s quarterly luncheon, the governor acknowledged TRIDEC’s business-to-business campaign to conserve energy and water.
“The ‘Just Save It’ initiative couldn’t be more timely,” Locke said. “Enlisting businesses and the community to pare back energy and water consumption is much more than good business -- especially in these uncertain times of drought and dwindling energy supplies -- it’s good citizenship.”
Locke also mentioned his recent requests of U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman to designate 13 Washington counties agricultural disaster areas due to devastating crop damage from June storms, and to declare six counties agriculture disasters as a result of drought. These designations would provide emergency low-interest Farm Service Agency loans to farmers and ranchers.
“I want you to know I am also exploring every possible legal avenue to provide direct aid to both farmers and farmworkers,” the governor said. “I know that for some, loans may even be a burden, so I will do everything I can to help in more direct ways as laws allow.”
In addition, the governor touted recent reforms of the state’s water-permitting process, which accomplished the first comprehensive changes to water law in 30 years.
“We should celebrate our collective success in securing long-needed water policy changes for people, farms and fish,” Locke said. “It also should mark our collaborative, bipartisan commitment to move forward.”
Finally, Locke urged members of the council to contact their legislators and urge them to pass his 10-year, $17.2 billion transportation proposal to relieve traffic congestion.
The governor's transportation plan would give metropolitan-area counties the ability to form transportation regions, within which local option revenue sources would pay for highway improvements critical to those areas.
To pay for the improvements, Locke has proposed a 50 percent gross weight surcharge for trucks and a 2 percent sales and use tax increase for new and used vehicles. The package also calls for a 4-cent increase in gas taxes in January 2002 and a 3-cent tax increase in 2004.
“While we fiddle and procrastinate, the transportation arteries of this state, our economic lifeblood, slowly clog,” Locke said. “A comprehensive transportation plan, complete with streamlining efficiencies, identified improvements and a realistic financing package is critical for this entire state, for ONE Washington.”
“Our plan is long-term and sensible and we MUST pass it,” Locke concluded. “We must pass it to ensure that we keep the citizens of rural and urban Washington state on the move -- and thriving -- in the 21st century.”
Related Links:
- Farm Service Agency
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- U.S. Congress
- The White House
- Tri-City Industrial Development Council (TRIDEC)
- Nuvotec
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 12, 2001
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Locke promotes clean energy and economic diversification in Tri-Cities, urges action on transportation plan
RICHLAND – Gov. Gary Locke today toured the Nuvotec Clean Energy Test Facility and met with the Tri-City Industrial Development Council to promote energy and water conservation, encourage economic diversification and urge support for his transportation plan.Locke participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the clean-energy generation facility in Richland, calling it “an amazing piece of engineering and just one example of what this community is doing to help solve our energy crisis.”
The governor commended everyone at Nuvotec for adopting an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to clean-energy generation. The facility features a special process that converts industrial waste products into synthetic gas, a clean energy source.
Locke said our energy crisis is affecting every state in the West because of California’s energy crisis, low rainfall, rising power demand and other factors.
“We are building more power plants,” Locke said. “We must continue to conserve. We must help low-income citizens pay their higher utility bills. And we must continue to push the president and Congress to provide a federal solution to this energy crisis that threatens so many businesses and jobs from Washington to New Mexico, from Oregon to Wyoming.”
At the Tri-City Industrial Development Council’s quarterly luncheon, the governor acknowledged TRIDEC’s business-to-business campaign to conserve energy and water.
“The ‘Just Save It’ initiative couldn’t be more timely,” Locke said. “Enlisting businesses and the community to pare back energy and water consumption is much more than good business -- especially in these uncertain times of drought and dwindling energy supplies -- it’s good citizenship.”
Locke also mentioned his recent requests of U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman to designate 13 Washington counties agricultural disaster areas due to devastating crop damage from June storms, and to declare six counties agriculture disasters as a result of drought. These designations would provide emergency low-interest Farm Service Agency loans to farmers and ranchers.
“I want you to know I am also exploring every possible legal avenue to provide direct aid to both farmers and farmworkers,” the governor said. “I know that for some, loans may even be a burden, so I will do everything I can to help in more direct ways as laws allow.”
In addition, the governor touted recent reforms of the state’s water-permitting process, which accomplished the first comprehensive changes to water law in 30 years.
“We should celebrate our collective success in securing long-needed water policy changes for people, farms and fish,” Locke said. “It also should mark our collaborative, bipartisan commitment to move forward.”
Finally, Locke urged members of the council to contact their legislators and urge them to pass his 10-year, $17.2 billion transportation proposal to relieve traffic congestion.
The governor's transportation plan would give metropolitan-area counties the ability to form transportation regions, within which local option revenue sources would pay for highway improvements critical to those areas.
To pay for the improvements, Locke has proposed a 50 percent gross weight surcharge for trucks and a 2 percent sales and use tax increase for new and used vehicles. The package also calls for a 4-cent increase in gas taxes in January 2002 and a 3-cent tax increase in 2004.
“While we fiddle and procrastinate, the transportation arteries of this state, our economic lifeblood, slowly clog,” Locke said. “A comprehensive transportation plan, complete with streamlining efficiencies, identified improvements and a realistic financing package is critical for this entire state, for ONE Washington.”
“Our plan is long-term and sensible and we MUST pass it,” Locke concluded. “We must pass it to ensure that we keep the citizens of rural and urban Washington state on the move -- and thriving -- in the 21st century.”
Related Links:
- Farm Service Agency
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- U.S. Congress
- The White House
- Tri-City Industrial Development Council (TRIDEC)
- Nuvotec
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