The diesel-powered state ferry Tacoma, shown here in Seattle, will not be pulled from service anytime soon for conversion to hybrid-electric propulsion by order of Gov. Bob Ferguson. (Photo by Tom Banse)
Washington State Ferries riders got a dose of good news for a change on Thursday. The head of state ferries and Gov. Bob Ferguson announced that ferry service will be fully restored to pre-pandemic levels sometime this summer, except for a long-suspended Sidney, British Columbia route.
Ferguson said the state would pause further hybrid-electric conversions of the largest ferries in the state’s fleet to keep vessels in service. The conversion of the first Jumbo Mark II-class vessel – the Wenatchee – fell far behind schedule last year when workers repeatedly encountered trouble trying to fit the new technology into the existing hull. The 202-car ferry is now slated to return with battery-powered propulsion capability in early summer, though the project is at least $36 million over budget.
“What this means is that with the Wenatchee put back into service – which we anticipate to be in June – we will then have 18 vessels in the water, the number necessary to fully restore domestic service for the first time since 2019,” Ferguson said during a press conference at the downtown Seattle ferry terminal.
Ferguson and the ferry system chief, Steve Nevey, said the Bremerton-Seattle and Port Townsend-Coupeville routes should return this summer to two-boat service and the so-called “triangle route” between Fauntleroy, Vashon Island and Southworth will have steady three-boat service, as was the case before the pandemic.
The state ferry system has 21 vessels in its fleet, but there are always at least a few aging boats undergoing maintenance or repairs. A shortage of qualified crew members has also kept a lid on vessel availability. Nevey said recruitment, scholarships and training programs launched under previous Gov. Jay Inslee are paying off. He announced that the agency is now back to pre-pandemic crew levels.
“We are well on our way to significantly improved service,” Nevey asserted.
‘A difficult decision’
Legislators, islanders and the mayor of a ferry-dependent city delighted at the ferry system’s anticipated recovery. A climate action nonprofit voiced disappointment, however, about the indefinite pause to jumbo ferry electrification.
“Delaying the hybrid-electric conversion of two of our ferries is a difficult decision,” said state Senate Transportation Committee Chair Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, via email. “Washington remains committed to reducing pollution and protecting our waterways, but we must restore service to what it was before the pandemic.”
Until this week, it appeared that Bremerton and the central Kitsap County area might have to limp along with reduced service for several more years. Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler stood beside Ferguson Thursday morning with a big smile on his face.
“The lack of service has been a crisis felt by residents of Bremerton who have lost jobs and faced significant financial impacts,” Wheeler said. “Restoring full service with Washington State Ferries will make a difference and negate lost opportunities in our community.”
In 2023, Washington State Ferries and the Vigor shipyard in Seattle agreed to a $100 million contract to convert the Wenatchee and another vessel, the Tacoma, to plug-in battery power with diesel generator backup. There was also an option to proceed with another $50 million conversion of a third boat, the Puyallup.
Ferguson said his direction to pause the contract after the Wenatchee conversion does not require legislative approval. He said he would revisit the postponed conversions “when the time is right,” but certainly not before the FIFA World Cup soccer crowds depart in mid-2026.
“Gov. Ferguson’s announcement to delay the conversion of existing vessels is disappointing but it doesn’t change the ultimate trajectory for a zero-emission ferry system,” reacted Kurt Ellison, maritime policy manager for the environmental nonprofit Climate Solutions in Seattle.
“We have to get off diesel, stop breathing the exhaust, and switch to other cleaner options,” Ellison added in an emailed statement.
The new governor said reducing Washington’s carbon footprint is important, but that for him the priority right now is restoring full ferry service.
Although the state will have to cover cost overruns for the Wenatchee retrofit, Ferguson said it will not have to pay a penalty to Vigor for pausing the conversion contract. The shipyard company, for its part, did not seem particularly upset about moving on to other projects.
“Vigor fully supports Governor Ferguson’s decision to delay the hybrid-electric conversion of Washington State Ferries recognizing the importance of balancing immediate transportation needs with long-term fleet modernization,” read a statement sent by Vigor spokesperson Benton Strong. “We have gained valuable insights through our work on the Wenatchee and will apply these lessons learned to support a smoother, more efficient process when the project resumes on the Tacoma.”
What about the bids for brand-new hybrid-electric ferries?
Washington’s new governor and the relatively new ferry system director said they are not planning to change course on electrification for the brand-new ferries the state has ordered. Next month, WSF will open bids submitted under a national solicitation for up to five new hybrid-electric ferries. Nichols Brothers Boat Builders on Whidbey Island is in the running, along with shipyards in Florida and Pennsylvania.
The design put out to bid is for a plug-in ferry capable of carrying up to 160 cars and 1,500 passengers. Drawings show boats that resemble a slightly elongated version of the diesel-powered Olympic class ferries delivered between 2014 and 2018. The center of the ship’s hold will be packed with racks of water-cooled rechargeable batteries so the ferry can sail fully on electric power most of the time. The engine room will also feature twin diesel generators as a backup source of propulsion power.
Republicans, who are in the minority in the Legislature, introduced multiple bills last year and this year to allow diesel ferries to be bought instead in the near term, to reduce risk and costs. The Senate Transportation Committee gave a perfunctory hearing to one such bill sponsored by state Sen. Drew MacEwan, R-Shelton, late last month. But the committee chair did not bring the measure up for a vote before a recent deadline for bills to move forward.
Managers at the state ferry system have been saying for more than a year that going out to bid again to buy diesel-powered new ferries instead of the hybrid electrics would delay the arrival of badly needed boats even more. A big unknown is whether the limited competition among shipyards and rising costs from factors such as new tariffs on imported steel will render new ferries unaffordable.
“We’re not going to build those ferries at any price,” said state House Transportation Chair Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, in an interview Thursday. “How many we can do will depend on what the bid is. We have to be good stewards of the public’s money.”