Washington State Department of Commerce

Washington State Department of Commerce Washington State Department of Commerce official news and information. Comments should be on-topic. The views expressed in comments reflect those of the author.

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Clean energy savings are helping Lighthouse Mission put more resources toward serving its community.With support from Co...
09/11/2026

Clean energy savings are helping Lighthouse Mission put more resources toward serving its community.

With support from Commerce’s Clean Energy Tax Credit Assistance Program (CETCAP) partner Giraffe Financial, Lighthouse Mission Ministries in Bellingham secured more than $500,000 in tax credits for a new solar and battery storage system.

The impact is already adding up: The system generated 104 megawatt hours of clean energy in its first year and is offsetting 30% of the shelter’s previous energy costs. Those savings can now go toward expanded services and programming.

CETCAP, in partnership with Lawyers for Good Government and Giraffe Financial, has helped more than 150 organizations across Washington access clean energy tax credits, turning clean energy investments into savings, resilience and greater community impact.

Read the full story: https://www.commerce.wa.gov/cetcap-supports-lighthouse-missions-enhanced-shelter-with-solar-and-battery-backup/

09/10/2026

On World Su***de Prevention Day, we recognize the impact su***de has on families, friends, co-workers, and entire communities.

Commerce is working alongside community-based organizations, local governments, and health systems to help prevent fi***rm su***de through safe storage programs that reduce access to fi***rms during moments of crisis.

Learn more about su***de prevention and how we can all help create safer communities: https://wa988.org/

Winter may still feel a ways off, but colder days will be here before we know it. At Commerce, work is already underway ...
09/09/2026

Winter may still feel a ways off, but colder days will be here before we know it. At Commerce, work is already underway to help Washington families stay safe and warm when temperatures drop. ❄️🏠

For years, Trecia Sarte struggled to keep her Pasco home warm. With no insulation under the floor, broken windows, doors that wouldn’t stay closed and a nearly 50-year-old furnace that no longer worked, Trecia sometimes stayed with family during the winter because her home was simply too cold.

With support from Commerce’s Weatherization Program, Benton Franklin Community Action Connections - CAC and Cascade Natural Gas Corporation, more than $27,000 in improvements transformed Trecia’s home.

That’s what weatherization is about: not just lowering energy costs but helping people feel safe and comfortable in the place they call home.

Read the full story: https://www.commerce.wa.gov/weatherization-program-brings-warmth-and-comfort-to-a-benton-county-home/

The next installment in the International Trade Talk Series is taking place on Sept. 11.Join our Office of Economic Deve...
09/09/2026

The next installment in the International Trade Talk Series is taking place on Sept. 11.

Join our Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness from 9 to 10 a.m. for a free presentation in partnership with the Washington State China Relations Council.

Learn about doing business with companies in China, get insights on trade and investment opportunities, and challenges to consider.

This is a hybrid event with a virtual option and in-person event in Seattle.

Register to join online: https://wastatecommerce.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IbqnN9eHSH2ay4XzxZFv7w #/registration

Register to join in-person: https://wscrc.org/current-events/china-equation-risk-resilience-opportunity-in-a-shifting-market-260911/

⚡ Tacoma is getting even more power from the water already flowing.The City of Tacoma Government is modernizing its Nisq...
09/08/2026

⚡ Tacoma is getting even more power from the water already flowing.

The City of Tacoma Government is modernizing its Nisqually Hydro Project, giving critical infrastructure new life while boosting the unit’s maximum power output by about 10%.

That means more clean energy, improved reliability and another step toward Washington’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2045.

And there’s a financial boost, too. With support from Commerce’s Clean Energy Tax Credit Assistance Program (CETCAP) and guidance from Lawyers for Good Government, Giraffe Financial and Avisen Legal, Tacoma was able to maximize eligible tax credits for the project.

Tacoma joins more than 150 organizations across Washington using CETCAP to make clean energy investments go further. 💧⚡

Read the full story: https://www.commerce.wa.gov/city-of-tacoma-modernizes-its-hydro-turbine-generator-with-cetcap-assistance/

Your next market could be around the world. Let STEP help you reach it.Entering international markets can be a big oppor...
09/08/2026

Your next market could be around the world. Let STEP help you reach it.

Entering international markets can be a big opportunity for your business as well as a big expense. Commerce’s Small Business Export Assistance team can help.

Through the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP), eligible small businesses can receive cash reimbursements related to international expansion, including trade show and trade mission fees, airfare, translator services, export training, and more.

Commerce administers this program through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Apply now and let STEP help offset the costs of taking your business global: https://www.commerce.wa.gov/export-assistance/export-vouchers/

We’re looking for a Deputy Assistant Director to help lead Commerce’s economic development and competitiveness team and ...
09/08/2026

We’re looking for a Deputy Assistant Director to help lead Commerce’s economic development and competitiveness team and increase opportunities for businesses across the state.

This leadership role works with businesses, economic development organizations and partners to strengthen local economies, create living-wage jobs, and position Washington as a source of world-class products and services.

💲Salary: $83,988 - $149,724 annually
📍 Location: Seattle
📅 Closes: Sunday, Sept. 27

Apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/5471654/deputy-assistant-director-oedc-wms-3

Washington’s aerospace legacy is helping shape what comes next. 🚀Commerce was proud to join Boeing this week at the Muse...
09/04/2026

Washington’s aerospace legacy is helping shape what comes next. 🚀

Commerce was proud to join Boeing this week at the Museum of Flight for the "NASA Inspiration Event" celebrating Boeing’s important role in the Artemis II mission and looking ahead to what comes next.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman was joined by astronaut and former Washington-based Boeing engineer Warren "Woody" Hoburg, who put it perfectly:

“How great to be back in the airplane building capital of the world.”

There is real excitement around NASA’s next chapter - returning to the moon, building a sustained presence there and preparing for what comes next.

Washington’s space industry is ready. With more than 100 years of aerospace leadership and 40+ Washington companies contributing components to Artemis II, our state continues to build, innovate and make history in space.

Thank you to The Boeing Company for organizing and hosting this inspiring event and for its continued leadership in space exploration.

A new electric workboat is helping the Quinault Indian Nation protect vital fisheries while reducing fossil fuel use.Thi...
09/03/2026

A new electric workboat is helping the Quinault Indian Nation protect vital fisheries while reducing fossil fuel use.

This year, Commerce awarded the Quinault Indian Nation $352,639 to purchase a fully electric, 24-foot workboat for fisheries research and monitoring in Grays Harbor, Lake Quinault and along the Olympic Coast.

The new vessel replaces a research skiff that used 9,360 gallons of gasoline each year. Quinault Fisheries will use it to monitor fish habitat and help eradicate invasive European green crabs, which threaten native Dungeness crab populations.

“This project upholds critical work to preserve important cultural and economic resources for the Quinault people, while bolstering efforts to progressively reduce the Tribe’s fossil fuel dependency and carbon footprint,” said Guy Capoeman, President of the Quinault Indian Nation.

The project is part of Commerce’s larger investment in tribal clean energy and resilience projects.

📸: Photon Marine and Silverback Marine

Commerce Interim Director Sarah Clifthorne and Office of Tribal Relations Director Al Andy recently joined the Jamestown...
09/02/2026

Commerce Interim Director Sarah Clifthorne and Office of Tribal Relations Director Al Andy recently joined the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe to celebrate the opening of Jamestown Salish Seasons- the first Tribally owned and operated inpatient treatment facility in Washington state.

Salish Seasons is a Comprehensive Evaluation and Treatment facility providing stability, healing, and a path forward for people in crisis.

During the ceremony, Tribal Chairman Ron Allen spoke about the Tribe’s commitment to “stand strong”- a purpose reflected in Salish Seasons’ mission. As he shared those words, an eagle appeared overhead, adding a powerful moment of symbolism.

Commerce is proud to have invested in this important project, made possible in collaboration with the strong support of Representative Steve Tharinger and Sen. Mike Chapman in directing funding to Commerce.

Congratulations to the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe on this historic investment in community health and healing.

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1011 Plum Street SE
Olympia, WA
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