Governor Jay Inslee released his 2017-19 supplemental operating budget proposal today, providing funding for WSU priorities going into the 2018 legislative session.
Notably, the proposal provides the $1.272 million necessary for the WSU Energy Program to administer a new renewable energy incentive program. Legislation directing the administration of the incentive program was approved late in the 2017 session but was not funded.
The governor’s proposal also includes $500,000 for WSU to hire a full-time director and support staff for the Joint Center for Deployment and Research in Earth Abundant Materials (JCDREAM). This appropriation would also support a competitive research grant program for the center, which is a collaboration with the University of Washington and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
You can learn more about WSU’s budget requests here.
The unveiling of the governor’s budget proposal sets the budget writing process in motion. The 60-day supplemental legislative session convenes on January 8, at which time the House and Senate will begin crafting their supplemental proposals.