Host: Washington State Department of Commerce
Region: Washington
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Climate Mitigation, Renewable Energy, Transportation / Mobility
Skills Needed: Community Engagement, Research, Data Collection, Environmental Justice,

Remote or On-Site Placement

Hybrid – Are team works remotely across Seattle, Spokane, Olympia, and Ellensburg. The team members who will work with this fellow are based in Seattle and Olympia. Our whole team meets regularly in-person on a quarterly basis.

Service Needs & Plans

The State of Washington has some of the most ambitious economy-wide decarbonization goals in the United States and beyond. To eliminate harmful fossil fuels from our energy systems in a way that ensures a resilient and reliable supply, protects and grows local jobs, and reduces energy burdens (particularly for our most vulnerable communities), the Washington State Department of Commerce is continually studying, developing, and implementing cross-sector policy solutions. For the hardest to decarbonize aspects of our economy, including aviation, heavy-duty transport, and certain industrial activities, green hydrogen and other renewable fuels can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions while creating jobs and generating valuable benefits for energy communities. In the coming decades, both the production and use of these fuels is expected to dramatically grow. Commerce is working to create policies that will accelerate the strategic and environmental justice-centered growth of clean hydrogen and renewable fuel markets in Washington.

Project Description

The Office of Renewable Fuels is supporting and leading a variety of projects to implement recommendations that were identified in the legislative report titled Green Electrolytic Hydrogen and Renewable Fuels: Recommendations for Deployment in Washington (released January 2024). The common goal of these projects is to support agencies, developers, end-users, workers, tribes, and communities, and other stakeholders as the statewide green hydrogen and renewable fuels market takes off. There exist many opportunities across projects to support stakeholder and community engagement, research, preparation of key deliverables, and project management. Depending on their interests, background skills, and personal goals for the service term, the Office of Renewable Fuels team is eager to collaboratively identify roles and responsibilities with the fellow within the following projects:

1. 2024 legislative session budgeted initiatives, which includes: conducting a feasibility assessment regarding underground storage of hydrogen in Washington; developing an environmental justice toolkit for hydrogen projects; and providing technical assistance for strategic end uses of hydrogen.
2. Developing a holistic policy package for the 2025 legislative session.
3. Developing hydrogen workforce training credentials in partnership with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
4. Support stakeholder engagement support the development and implementation of comprehensive siting and permitting processes for clean hydrogen facilities in partnership with PNNL, the Renewable Hydrogen Alliance, and others (tentative based on forthcoming notice of federal funding award)
5. Supporting the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub (PNWH2) in key activities following its official launch in summer 2024

There are also likely additional projects that will come online before and during the fellow’s service term that a fellow can plug into depending on capacity needs and interest.

Lastly, the Office of Renewable Fuels team is happy to explore new projects and activities identified by the fellow to pursue throughout the service term.

Desired Skills

Some mix of the following: foundational knowledge of energy systems and high-level decarbonization concepts, general familiarity with public policy, understanding of concepts related to environmental justice and equity, stakeholder engagement, communication, technical writing, workforce development, critical thinking, public speaking, proficiency with Excel, project management, case study and other qualitative research.

Organization & Workplace Highlights

We are creative, collaborative, and trusted. We cultivate a work environment in which we continuously learn, and we own our work.

Improving the health conditions for people of color, indigenous individuals and communities, and low-income people who continue to be disproportionately harmed by environmental and health hazards is essential to advancing our mission to strengthen communities.

Our organization our offers a great professional development experience as it is filled with highly trained policy staff working on important clean energy, climate, environmental justice, and equity issues. Staff are dedicated to helping our fellows succeed at Commerce and their future goals.

The Energy Office is an interesting place to work because it is a national leader in climate and clean energy policy, and at the forefront of policy on equity and environmental justice issues. Washington is home to wonderful communities, and fellows may join our team from any location in the state and fully participate in agency events and activities.

Community Highlights

Our Mission
The mission of the Washington State Department of Commerce is to strengthen communities and grow the economy.

Our Vision
With a broad scope of over 150 programs and partnerships, Commerce has a unique opportunity to create transformative change. Improving the health conditions for people of color, indigenous individuals and communities, and low-income people who continue to be disproportionately harmed by environmental and health hazards is essential to our vision of a more equitable, inclusive, sustainable and resilient economy.

Our key customers include businesses, local governments, community-based organizations and tribes. We also play the crucial role of convening numerous local, state, regional and federal partners and stakeholders, public and private.

Together we work to support the Governor’s priorities and achieve shared goals and objectives for the citizens of Washington.