This past June, Washington confronted a smothering heat dome that ended up being the deadliest weather event in Washington history. It contributed to 125 heat-related deaths and nearly 450 excess deaths, such as strokes and heart attacks brought on by heat stress. Unsurprisingly, researchers found that people who are low income or experiencing homelessness are the most vulnerable during heat waves.
The changing climate means such heat events are increasingly likely during Washington’s summer months. According to the National Weather Service, extreme heat has led to more deaths than other extreme weather events in the United States over the last…
Commerce work with local leaders in town decimated by wildfire reveals new approaches to better serve communities in crisis
Imagine feeling the scorching heat as you stand, stranded on the nearest small patch of green alfalfa, helpless against flames consuming the house on your family’s homestead settled generations ago. Or feeling a tightening knot in the pit of your stomach as you rush to the engulfed homes and businesses of your neighbors, making sure everyone is safe from the wildfire swallowing buildings whole. …
New tool helped ensure cold storage for vials of vaccines during winter power outages
The Washington Department of Commerce, home to the State Energy Office, plays a pivotal role behind the scenes in the state’s response to energy emergencies, such as major power and fuel supply disruptions. During the pandemic, Energy Emergency Management Director Elizabeth King recognized the potential of the Washington Energy Infrastructure Assessment Tool (WEIAT, known as “Wyatt”) to help guide important elements of the state’s coronavirus response.
The tool was originally funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy which recently highlighted King’s work as a…
“Broadband is infrastructure.”
That was it. That was the tweet. And it was a powerful signal of just how crucial broadband has become to strengthening the nation’s economic and social future.
As the United States rebuilds its way out of a pandemic that crushed sectors of the economy and exposed deep-rooted inequities in the workplace and within communities of color, President Joe Biden unveiled his American Jobs Plan that includes $100 billion to build out broadband infrastructure and make internet service more affordable to more people. …
Commerce now has in-country representation in 10 countries helping our state’s small businesses grow through exporting and international business partnerships
The math speaks for itself. Export opportunities are a winning opportunity for Washington businesses.
· Jobs: At least one in four jobs in Washington state is connected to exports. The state’s economy is more closely aligned with international trade than any other state.
· Markets: More than 80% of the world’s purchasing power is outside the United States, making exporting a consistent source of growth and opportunity for businesses of all sizes. Currently, fewer than 1% of U.S. …
Office will focus on community gun violence disproportionately impacting communities of color
Shalisa Hayes is a mother with a mission.
In August 2011, she experienced the deepest pain a mother could feel — the loss of her young son who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Billy Ray Shirley III was 17 years old. He was shot and killed leaving a party in Tacoma, WA.
For Hayes, this wasn’t her first brush with gun violence. She had lost her father to homicide when she was a young girl. The grief from such loss can be…
“If we are to build back stronger, we must confront the inequities within our workforce and communities that have been exposed.”
(Op-ed published in Crosscut on March 9, 2021)
It seems so long ago and yet just like yesterday when countries around the world began initiating shutdowns in response to a deadly virus we knew almost nothing about. Companies shifted millions of employees to telework. Schools closed. Offices and storefronts were shuttered. In-person events were canceled. For a while we wondered if these changes would be temporary. They were not.
Frontline workers at hospitals, grocery stores and food processing plants had to continue working and face exposure to…
Clean energy projects will reduce energy burden for low-income households and nonprofit housing providers
The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced $3.7 million in grants for nine solar energy projects across the state. The projects will result in a total $6.1 million reduction in the energy burden of low-income households and nonprofits serving low-income communities over 25 years.
The Low-Income Solar Deployment Program is part of Washington’s Clean Energy Fund, established in 2013. These grants will result in 2.8 …
Renewed federal grant funding supports 196 community-based homeless programs that provide transitional housing, rental assistance, supportive services and housing to nearly 18,000 people
Early last year, Sandra (name changed for confidentiality) packed herself and her five children into a car and fled her abuser in California to a friend’s home in Washington.
Shortly after arriving in Thurston County, she was directed to the Family Support Center of South Sound. They quickly connected her to a domestic violence housing advocate through the agency’s Family Justice Center Program. The advocate worked with Sandy to figure out what barriers she had to finding…
Lack of affordable child care is keeping more than 133,000 potential workers out of the workforce
OLYMPIA, WA — Washington state’s economy is challenged by persistent gaps in availability of affordable child care. According to the Washington Child Care Collaborative Task Force, lack of access to affordable child care keeps over 133,000 potential workers out of Washington’s labor force. The effects ripple through Washington’s economy, resulting in an estimated $14.7 billion less in personal earnings, $56.8 billion less in business output, $34.8 billion lower Gross State Product, and over $1 billion in lost tax revenue annually.
A new report from…
