(WSB photo: Diesel-powered water taxi M/V Sally Fox, seen Tuesday in Seacrest)

You have probably heard of Washington State Ferries are planning to build electric ships. The pedestrian ferry fleet in our region, Subway transit‘S King County Water Taxiis also moving in this direction. In a recent newsletter, the city council member of the 1st district Rob Saka mentioned that the Puget Sound Regional CouncilThe board of directors of – of which he is a member – had approved funding for “electrification improvements” for the water taxi. (The money comes from federal highway and public transit funds, Saka added.) So we asked Metro’s Al Sanders for details. He tells WSB:

As part of Metro’s transition to a zero-emissions fleet, the Marine Division is researching available technology that will enable water taxis to transition from diesel-powered vessels to vessels that utilize hybrid and/or battery-electric propulsion.

The $1.7 million grant, awarded by the Puget Sound Regional Council, will be used for the design and construction of new electric vessels and the associated charging infrastructure needed to support the fleet. The grant will be used to initiate the design of two new 150-passenger battery-powered electric vessels, as well as the design of shore-side charging stations and other electrical infrastructure at Pier 50.

When in operation, the vessels will reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the water taxi service, supporting King County’s Strategic Climate Change Action Plan.

Sanders says design work has not yet begun, so there is no timeline for that. The two current water taxis, M/V Doc Maynard and M/V Sarah Foxwere both launched in 2015. The total cost was $11.8 million, again largely from federal funds.