King County and WestStart host national clean vehicles conference

Clean vehicles, the technologies behind them and the fuels that make them go took center stage in September 2007 when King County and the non-profit WestStart-CALSTART hosted a national clean vehicles conference at Qwest Field in Seattle.  The Clean Vehicles Now! conference was aimed at raising awareness, shaping policies and building support for real actions today to combat climate instability and fossil fuel dependence.

Event co-sponsor King County, led by Executive Ron Sims, has been at the forefront in cutting greenhouse gas pollution through the use of innovative green technologies and policies. In 2007, King County adopted a comprehensive Climate Plan to identify and recommend concrete actions for mitigating and adapting to a warmer planet.

Participants received a hands-on demonstrations of currently available clean vehicles and their related technologies and fuels, and learned how to break down perceived barriers to their widespread purchase and use, and how to get them on the streets now.

Participants also learned how to invest in clean vehicles, technologies and fuels, and build new connections and partnerships to help shape policies and develop support for making clean vehicle investments today.

On the day of the event, King County and over 20 cities from the Puget Sound region joined to sign a Puget Sound Regional Green Fleet Initiative Statement of Principles.  For more information about the ongoing work of the Puget Sound Green Fleet Initiative or King County's climate change actions, please contact global.warming@kingcounty.gov.