The compromise state transportation budget unveiled by legislative leaders today provides $6.5 million in seed funding for a new sustainable aviation fuels research and development center at Everett’s Paine Field. WSU will be the research partner in the project.
The center was announced last month and funding was inserted into the Senate’s transportation proposal. The agreement announced Friday is expected to be approved by both the House and Senate and sent to the governor’s office prior to the Legislature’s scheduled Sunday adjournment of this year’s legislative session.
Already, WSU tests small samples of experimental jet fuel in labs at WSU Tri-Cities to determine which warrant further study. The state funding will be used in part to design a facility to test experimental fuels at a jet engine scale at Paine Field. Once designed, federal funds could be sought to pursue construction.
The state funds also would support the development of a first-of-its-kind fuel bank to store experimental fuels supplied by companies across the world.