Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Monday he will seek millions in state funding to establish a program at Washington State University’s Tri-Cities campus dedicated to researching sustainable energy.

Inslee said he plans to ask the state legislature in January for $10 million to fund the Institute for Northwest Energy Futures at WSU’s Richland branch. 

The work to launch the institute began last year when a now-deceased longtime supporter of the school donated $500,000 toward an endowment to fund the salary for the director of the institute. No other donations have since followed, Chris Mulick, WSU director of state relations, told NetZero Insider. 

With funding from the state, WSU would likely lease a building near the Richland campus for the institute, Mulick said. The institute plans to hire a director in its first year, and scientist faculty members in the second year after legislative approval. 

The faculty would be split with five at the Richland campus and three at WSU’s main campus in Pullman. Each faculty member would have a graduate assistant. Some ancillary employees would also be hired. The Richland campus currently has about 100 faculty members. 

Of the $10 million, $2 million would go into an endowment to pay the salary of the institute’s yet-to-be-hired director.

“I’m cautiously optimistic about legislative support for this idea,” Inslee said at a press conference in Richland.

Richland is also home to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Hanford nuclear reservation and many small engineering and research firms. Consequently, Inslee believes the city is good place for the institute to interact with Richland’s huge scientific and engineering community. The area is also home to research on nuclear, solar, wind and other alternative types of power.  

“There is no one technology that we’re going to bind ourselves to as the exclusive game in town,” Inslee said.