Over 100 Flagship Washington Companies Announce Support for Initiative 1631

Source:  Yes on 1631, Sept. 20th, 2018.  Note:  The CleanTech Alliance statement on I-1631 can be found here.

Today, Expedia Group, REI, Virginia Mason, and Vigor joined a growing list of over 100 businesses to announce their support for I-1631, Washington’s Clean Air and Clean Energy initiative. Businesses include Washington state leaders in technology, outdoor recreation, health, and manufacturing.

Endorsing businesses came from across the state; from Renewable Energy Group in Grays Harbor, Ellensburg Solar in Kittitas County, Mountain Gear in Spokane Valley, Chuckanut Builders in Whatcom County, Carbon River Doors in Orting, and Mazama Country Inn in the Methow Valley.

Other major state employers include, Sellen Construction, NBBJ, LMN Architects, Red Hook Brewing, MacDonald Miller Facility Solutions, McKinstry, Ameresco, A&R Solar, Cedar Grove Composting, Fremont Brewing, Puget Sound Solar and PCC Community Markets.

“The health effects of a changing climate are already being felt in Washington. Smoke from wild fires these past two summers, which worsen respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, are just the most visible recent impacts. Medical studies estimate the global health burden of air pollution to be 6.5 million premature deaths per year. That is more than the deaths caused by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. We need to reduce fossil fuel use now to keep air pollution and an unstable climate from becoming increasingly worse for our children and grandchildren” said Gary S. Kaplan, MD, Chairman and CEO, Virginia Mason Health System.

“As the world’s travel platform, Expedia Group proudly supports initiatives that protect natural resources for future generations of Washingtonians and global travelers alike,” said Amanda Pedigo, Vice President of Government and Corporate Affairs, Expedia Group. “That is why we strongly support I-1631 efforts to keep Washington state vibrant, clean and healthy for everyone who lives here and the millions of people who visit our state every year. This initiative aligns with Expedia Group’s commitment to offset the environmental impact of our corporate footprint. We look forward to continued engagement on these critical issues.”

With over 2 million members in Washington state alone, REI has a decades long history of stewardship and advocacy for state natural resources and outdoor spaces. They laid out their support for I-1631 in a piece on the REI Co-op Journal.

“Washington state’s natural beauty attracts people from all over the world and it has a real economic benefit to our state. Outdoor recreation generates $2.3 billion in state and local tax revenue from a vibrant outdoor industry that employs at least 200,000 Washingtonians,” said Marc Berejka, Director of Government and Community Affairs at REI. “This is not a niche or partisan effort. 1631 is a choice to take action for our collective future.”

Vigor is the leading provider of shipbuilding, complex fabrication and ship repair and conversion in the Pacific Northwest.

“One of Vigor’s core values is “Love”. That means we care about the people we work with and the world we live in. We wholeheartedly endorse I-1631 and the cleaner energy future that will follow,” stated Frank Foti, President and CEO of Vigor. “We believe I-1631 is also an important investment in climate friendly innovations.  These investments will create jobs which is good for Washington’s economy and consistent with our state’s values as well.”

Business support includes:

  • A&R Solar
  • Alice T. Hellyar Design LLC
  • All Cities Solar & Electric
  • Ameresco Inc.
  • American Alpine Institute
  • Arlington Electric & Solar
  • Artisan Electric Inc.
  • Atalier Jones LLC
  • Balderston Associates
  • Batt + Lear
  • Ben and Jerry’s
  • Beneficial State Bank
  • Big Chickie
  • BrightWork Builders LLC
  • BYD Company
  • C+CCamp Creative
  • Carbon River Doors
  • Cascadia Consulting Group, Inc.
  • Cascadia Solar
  • Cedar Grove Composting
  • Chapter 3 Copyediting LLC
  • Cheryl Heinrichs Architecture
  • Chuckanut Builders
  • Clean Technology Partners
  • Collaborative Efficiency
  • Columbia City Bakery
  • Cypress Creek Renewables
  • Derby Canyon Natives
  • Digs Showroom
  • Dog Enterprises Inc.
  • Ducoterra
    Eco Consulting
  • EcoPower Development
  • Ecotech Solar
  • Ecotope Inc.
  • Energy Efficiency Finance Corps
  • EnergySavvy
  • EVgoEvo
  • Expedia
  • Fire Mountain Solar LLC
  • Fremont Brewing
  • Full Circle Environmental Inc
  • Green Canopy
  • Grounds for Change
  • Groundwork Strategies
  • Hammerschlag and Co
  • Jourdan HVACR Consulting
  • LD Arch Design
  • LMN Architects
  • MacDonald Miller Facility Solutions
  • Mahlum Architects, IncMazama Country Inn
  • McKinstry
  • Meadow Creature LLC
  • Merrill Images LLC
  • Mighty House Construction
  • Miller Hull Partnership
  • Mithun
  • NBBJ
  • Mountain Gear
  • Neoen U.S. Inc.
  • Nicholson Kovalchick Architects
  • Northwest Renewables
  • Pepper Sisters Restaurant
  • Power Trip Energy
  • Proterra Inc
  • PSR Mechanical
  • Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union
  • Puget Sound Solar
  • Pyramid Communications
  • Redhook Brewing
  • REI
  • Renewable Energy Group
  • Resources Generation Seattle
  • Scope 5
  • Seattle Bouldering Project
  • Sellen Construction
  • Seventh Generation
  • Shift Zero
  • Spoon Full Farm
  • Solar Washington
  • SolTerra Solar
  • Sound Sustainable Farms
  • Steinbrueck Urban Strategies, LLC
  • Sun Path Electric
  • Sunbridge Solar
  • Sunergy Systems Inc
  • Sunshine Construction LLC
  • Ten Directions Design, Architects
  • Tutta Bella
  • Vigor
  • Virginia Mason
  • Western Solar Inc
  • Whitney Architecture
  • Zunum Aero
  • (+14) Ethan Stowell Restaurants

 Contact: Nick Abraham, Communications Director, Yes on 1631 | 425-761-9368 | nick@yeson1631.org