Gov. Inslee to visit Grays Harbor, Spokane counties Wednesday

Gov. Jay Inslee’s office announced a number of public appearances around the state today, starting with a stop in Oakville where he will join other elected officials and Tribal, business and labor leaders to celebrate the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association‘s formal application for a Department of Energy grant to establish a regional hydrogen power hub.

If approved by the federal government, the designation is said to come with $1 billion in funding and is projected to create tens of thousands of jobs in the region. 

The effort is led by the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association, a public-private partnership created to jumpstart the state’s transition to clean hydrogen, particularly to decarbonize sectors such as maritime, aviation, and heavy industry.

The governor will travel to Spokane for the afternoon, where he will first visit Thrive International. The nonprofit was formed shortly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has helped more than 1,000 Ukrainian refugees since then and currently houses more than 100 refugee families.

Inslee will later visit The Podium, a community sports venue opened in 2021 through a combination of state and local funding that SportsTravel Magazine last year named the top new sports venue in the country. 

The 135,000-square-foot venue, which generates tens of millions of dollars in local tax revenue, is led by the Spokane Public Facilities District and the Spokane Sports Commission.

Wednesday, April 5

• 9:00 a.m. – Hydrogen Hub media event in Oakville
• 2:15 p.m. – Tour of Thrive International in Spokane
• 3:25 p.m. – Tour of The Podium in Spokane