Blog – Washington Business Alliance

Three Emerging Technologies That Will Shape Washington State’s Future

What does Washington State’s future look like? Before you consult your crystal ball, take a look at some of the tech trends that are transforming the business landscape and making our state a global leader. Manufacturing of advanced materials such as carbon fiber...

Top Destinations For Washington State Exports

by Hans D. Stroo on September 17, 2014 Washington has the most trade dependent economy of any state. Exports accounted for more than 30% of new jobs created in the state over the past 30 years. Values on the maps and lists below come from the US Census Bureau USA...

Marginal Abatement Cost Curve BASICS

A Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MAC curve or MACC) is a succinct and straightforward tool for presenting carbon emissions abatement options relative to a baseline (typically a business-as-usual pathway). A MAC curve permits an easy to read visualization of various...

Uneven Recovery Across Pacific Northwest Following Recession

by Hans D. Stroo on November 4, 2014 1.) Oregon has led the Northwest U.S. in economic growth since the 2007 recession. Real state GDP grew 22 percent in Oregon between 2007 and 2013. Washington State’s GDP grew by 7.44 percent. Nationwide, the economy grew 4.74...

Updates from Olympia

Updates from our policy advisors in Olympia Low Carbon Prosperity On March 14th the House Environment Committee considered House Bill 1646, titled “Promoting an equitable clean energy economy by creating a carbon tax that allows investment in clean energy, clean air,...

The State of Solar in Washington

What are the origins of the solar cluster in Washington? Can we quantify the industry’s current status? What state-level policies influenced solar’s growth? This section will attempt to answer those questions. Incentivizing Solar Adoption In 2005, the Washington state...

The Sustainability Long Game Is On

At its simplest sustainability is meeting the needs of the present without compromising those of the future. The three pillars of sustainability are “people, planet and profit,” or social, environmental, and economic. The same set of values is captured in the...

They Want To Eat Our Lunch

“We are competing with everyone, everywhere, every day, forever.” That was among the sobering messages that emerged from a program recently put on by the Washington Business Alliance. The event assembled experts from government, science, education, and industry to...

The Business View on I-732

As voters consider I-732 this election, it’s important to have accurate information on this initiative, the first in our nation proposing a carbon tax. Much has been written about I-732, some of it inaccurate. Sightline Institute published a series of blog articles...

2015 Washington State Legislative Recap

After extending three special sessions past the regular cut off, the 2015 legislative session has finally come to a close. The budget agreement established major new funding for transportation infrastructure and the first reduction in higher education tuition in...

Shop Class to the Rescue

$35,051. THAT AMOUNT REFLECTS THE AVERAGE DEBT OWED BY STUDENTS GRADUATING FROM FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES IN 2015, BRINGING THE NATIONAL EDUCATION DEBT OF STUDENTS NATIONWIDE TO NEARLY $70 BILLION, REPORTS THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. According to the Institute of College Access...

Social Impact Bond Divides WA Legislators

There is emerging bipartisan support for creating a social impact bond pilot project in Washington’s state legislature, but staunch opponents aren't standing down. Social impact bonds - or SIBs, also known as “pay for success” bonds - are a relatively new approach to...

Soft Skills – The New Skills Shortage?

Arguably the biggest hurdle facing manufacturing today is the shortage of skilled workers. With fewer high schools offering hands-on learning through vocational classes, young workers interested in pursuing a career in manufacturing are tasked with figuring out how to...

State Fights for Marijuana Market Share in Washington

Over six months have passed since Colorado opened the nation’s first retail marijuana shops in January 2014, and now it’s Washington State’s turn. Washington recently granted licenses to 25 recreational marijuana shops whose doors opened for business on July 8th,...

STEM Isn’t Enough

STEM focus meant to nurture the next generation of scientists and engineers leaves out a critical piece of education. The Arts. In the mythology created about Steve Jobs is his study of calligraphy. He spoke of being drawn to the visual impression, the curves of the...

Strengths and Weaknesses of Washington State in Global Innovation Economy

A panel of experts, convened by the Washington Business Alliance, weighed in before an audience of business leaders regarding the state’s positioning within the national innovation ecosystem. Each respondent was asked to identify Washington’s greatest strengths and...

Student Improves on King County Web App

Ever find yourself puzzled over how to properly recycle or dispose of unwanted household and business wastes? For King County residents, there's a new web app for that! It was engineered by Audrey Carlsen, a Seattle woman who took on the project as the capstone of her...

Submit Your Vision for Ed. Reform to the Leg-Exec Task Force

This summer Olympia lawmakers and the Governor's Office are tasked with figuring out how to fully fund K-12 basic education. The legislative-executive Education Funding Task Force is asking for community input to understand hwhat residents want from the K-12 education...

Sustainability Through Innovation, Not Regulation

It is less than a square foot big, but for many in African villages, it is a life changer. Last year, I contributed to a project to build a network of entrepreneurial women in African villages selling small solar panels. The small panels provide electricity to charge...

Taking a Business Approach to Open Data

You can directly impact Washington’s open data policy by filling out this short survey Can open data stimulate economic activity? Can it lead to the creation of new business models? Mounting research and anecdotal evidence tell us that open data is valuable to...

Technology Industries Spread Wealth In Washington State

One of the first projects the Technology Alliance undertook in the mid-1990’s was to measure the size and economic contributions of Washington’s technology-based industries. When we refer to “tech,” we mean it in a broad sense, as we attempt to capture all of the...

Reshaping Corporate Social Responsibility

Escalating environmental and social crises, such as climate change, demand a new approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) that is capable of addressing the magnitude of these challenges. Although climate change is the most pressing issue, it is only one of...

Revenue & Emissions Preliminary Impact Analysis

Summary Using our proprietary Washington State Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Explorer, the Washington Business Alliance analyzed the expected outcome of Senate Bill 6203 out to 2035. The bill is projected to generate roughly $900 million per year (in USD, 2020) in...

Road Usage Charges Advance; GPS Mandate Out

A group of western states states are stepping up "collaborative research into systems and policy development" that could help pave the way for long-term implementation of a mileage-based vehicle tax to replace the by-the-gallon gas tax made increasingly ineffective by...

Roads Face Funding Crisis in King County’s Unincorporated Areas

It’s no secret that Washington’s infrastructure is crumbling. There are many roads and highways throughout the state that need repair, but the state’s unincorporated areas face a significant disadvantage when seeking funds for desperately needed road repairs. This...

Washington State’s Transportation Funding Dilemma

1.) The fuel efficiency of vehicles is rising fast A new car in 2025 will go around twice as far as the 2010 models on the same amount of gas. Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards - Projected and...

“Seattle Made” Means Smart Growth, Good Jobs, Trusted Brand

What should a 21st century Seattle look like? We know it must include a commitment to sustainability, but how do we define sustainability in its full measure? Is it simply smart transport, energy-efficient buildings, widespread recycling, and so forth? Or are there...

Second Special Session

On Tuesday, Governor Jay Inslee ordered a second 30 day special session. In his press conference announcement, the Governor urged lawmakers to identify new funding for education without relying on the capital gains tax proposed by House Democrats, or a property tax...

Senate Deliberates on Carbon Tax Initiative 732

by Hans D. Stroo on February 12, 2016 On February 9th, Senators from the Energy, Environment & Telecommunications Committee convened to discuss the revenue-neutral carbon tax: Initiative 732. In attendance were 79 residents who came to provide input: 51 in support, 20...

Proposed “Timber Innovation Act” Boosts R&D for Tall Wood Buildings

There's new legislation in both chambers of the U.S. Congress that would boost R&D for tall wood buildings. If passed, the Timber Innovation Act could be a game changer for Washington State’s mass timber industry. The bipartisan legislation would open up new markets...

Public University Tech Transfer Programs in Washington State

In fiscal year 2012, the federal government invested more than $40 billion for research and development at universities across the country, accounting for 61% of total higher education R&D. Out of 655 universities receiving federal funding, University of Washington...

Real Median Household Income Dropped 6.4 Percent Since ’08

by Hans D. Stroo on September 29, 2014 Washington households still haven't recovered from the Great Recession. Between 2008 and 2013, Washington's real median household income declined 6.4 percent statewide. As measured in 2013 dollars, the median Washington household...

Regional Councils Prepare Workforce Plans for 2016-2020

Washington State's workforce system helps residents to find jobs or advance in careers. The programs begin with high school and reach through apprenticeships, certificate programs and college, but stop short of four-year degrees. Taken together, the state-defined...

Rep. Zeiger’s “Pay-for-Success” Bill Targets Juvenile Justice Improvements

“Pay-for-Success bonds” -- also known as social impact bonds (SIBs) -- are an innovative public finance mechanism that have attracted a lot of interest in recent years. They were first introduced in Western Europe. The idea is to leverage private sector capital and...

Oregon is Investing in Career Tech Education

by Hans D. Stroo on January 6, 2016 Over the next decade, economists and business leaders say America faces a shortage of millions of skilled workers for blue collar jobs as Baby Boomers retire. Now, Oregon is planning ahead by ramping up efforts to train Generation...

Overheard in Olympia:

“If any Olympia observers are currently planning summer vacations, you might want to hold off. It looks like we’ll be here for a while.” - Keith Schipper, State GOP strategist, Washington State Wire “Here's something we haven't heard much of over the last few weeks:...

Past, Present, and Future of Washington State’s Workforce: Data Visualization

by Hans D. Stroo on October 8, 2014 Check out these five data visualizations exploring the landscape of Washington State's workforce - and, by extension, its economy. All data comes from the Employment Security Department. Occupational Employment & Wage Estimates for...

OMAX Manufacturing Tour Emphasizes Professional Development

From apprenticeships to formal coursework and academic degrees, professional development is the driving force behind those who want to continually grow their career. However, finding a company that instills an atmosphere of reaching your full potential is hard to come...

Only One in 14 Washington State Public High Schools Offers AP Computer Science

Out of 709 public high schools in Washington, only 51 of them offer an Advanced Placement (AP) computer science course. When a student engages in rigorous high school computing curriculum via the AP courses it unlocks multiple career paths and the prospect of...

Federal Budget Proposal Sells Rural Washington Short

Regardless of whether you are celebrating or mourning the results of the national elections, the hard truth is that many people who work and live in rural Washington are still waiting for the economic recovery that has not yet arrived. Yes, the Puget Sound region, and...

Opinion Piece: Healthcare after the frenzy: Now what?

After years of fierce partisan politics over health care, from the passage of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in 2010, through the recent failure of the American Health Care Act (the Republican replacement plan), three options exist going forward: Undermine...

Opinion: Washington state should fund K-12 training for careers in trades

Apr 7, 2017, 1:55am PDT, Puget Sound Business Journal Shannon Affholter, executive director of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish County, and Colleen McAleer, President of Washington Business Alliance and a Commissioner at the Port of Port Angeles....

Measuring The B.A. Degree Earnings Premium

By the seventh year after high school graduation in Washington state, the student who has earned a four-year college degree at a public university in the state earns 18 percent more if male and 19 percent more if female, compared to high school grads of similar...

Here’s How to Save Career Tech Ed.

Did you know? 70% of Washington state high school students do not complete college (or earn any type of postsecondary credential). Challenge There is an employment skills gap today in Washington’s highly technical economy, creating a key opportunity for graduates...

Modeling Analysis of Senator Palumbo’s Carbon Tax Proposal

A longer form version of this Analysis is available for those interested, at this link. The Longer Form Version Contains All Content in this post, plus an overview of the proposal and a description of key model parameters Summary Using a proprietary modeling system,...

Modeling Analysis of Senator Palumbos Carbon Tax (SB 5930)

Summary Using a proprietary modeling system, the Washington Business Alliance analyzed the expected outcomes of Senator Palumbo’s Carbon Tax Bill, Senate Bill 5930. SB 5930 is projected to generate a peak of roughly $1.8 billion/year in 2024 (in USD, 2018), and...

Monroe Manufacturing Academy Shapes Industry-Ready Job Seekers

Snohomish County is Washington State’s number one county for aerospace and advanced manufacturing supporting an estimated 110,000 direct jobs over 960 companies. To further support the region’s need for highly-skilled workers, AJAC expanded the Manufacturing Academy...

More K-12 Computer Science For Washington State: How?

by Hans D. Stroo on May 9, 2014 New jobs created within the science, technology, engineering and math - or STEM - fields are overwhelmingly within computer science occupations. By 2018, 71 percent of the projected 8.65 million U.S. STEM jobs will be in computer...

Narrow Definitions of Higher Education Threaten Washington’s Economy

Across the country, states find themselves in a seemingly paradoxical situation: high youth unemployment, coupled with thousands of unfilled jobs in the skilled-trades. In Washington, the situation is particularly acute in manufacturing and construction, which...

King County Executive Drives Better Outcomes, Cost Savings

As King County Executive Dow Constantine prepares to send his 2015-2016 budget proposal to the King County Council on September 22nd, the Executive’s Office is releasing information on new efficiencies and performance improvements which it says are saving millions....