FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Skagit County Creates Temporary Technical Advisory Group to Evaluate Guemes Ferry Replacement Options
The Skagit Board of County Commissioners (Board) is convening a temporary technical advisory group (TAG) to evaluate and recommend options for replacement of the Guemes Island ferry. Since 2013, Skagit County has been studying options for replacement of the Guemes Island ferry as it has become overly burdensome to continue maintaining the current vessel. The TAG will consider previous ferry replacement studies and designs, including the all-electric ferry proposal, along with the results of the value engineering study conducted by Skagit County Public Works and a third-party consultant, to recommend replacement or refurbishment strategies for the Guemes Island ferry by August 31, 2026.
The TAG is intended to be a time-limited advisory group and will dissolve without further action by the Board on August 31, 2026. The TAG will include five members who are residents of Guemes Island and four members who are Skagit County residents at-large, but not residents of Guemes Island. The at-large members will preferably be familiar with local vessel operations, private marine delivery or shuttle service, shipbuilding, naval architecture, emergency operations, or other relevant experience.
The advisory recommendations to be provided by the TAG to the Board shall focus solely on the following areas:
- Study and review of all alternative ferry propulsion options studies conducted to date by the County.
- Provide advisory recommendations and input to County staff during the County’s value engineering and risk assessment, specifically in helping to define “value” for purposes of such evaluation.
- Provide an advisory comparative analysis of different ferry propulsion methods (e.g., all-electric, hybrid, diesel electric, green diesel, Liquefied Natural Gas, and hydrogen) to evaluate, at a minimum, the following.
- Upfront capital cost
- Life cycle cost
- Ongoing operating costs
- Complexity
- Year-over-year maintenance costs and intervals
- Emissions
- Energy consumption
- Other options for ferry service, including, but not limited to, preserving M/V Guemes for another 10-15 years, partnering with Whatcom County to build a new vessel identical to its new design, etc.
The TAG will provide two main deliverables to the County Commissioner before August 31, 2026:
- A comprehensive final TAG advisory report with recommendations to the Board, which may include a set of alternative ferry propulsion options, evaluation of alternatives based on identified key factors, other advisory recommendations concerning cost analysis and other considerations.
- A public presentation of the final TAG report to the County Commissioners during a televised work session.
TAG meetings will be open to the public, but there will be no public comment taken during meetings. TAG members will elect a chair from existing members of the TAG and follow Robert’s Rules of Order to conduct meetings. Meeting minutes and other materials made available to the TAG will be posted on the ferry website. All meetings will be held in person at the Anacortes Public Library.
More information on the TAG organization can be found in the TAG charter on our website.
Interested citizens can apply for the TAG by submitting a resume and application through the portal on our website. Applications are due by Friday, September 26th, at 4:30 p.m. The first TAG meeting will be held in early November at the Anacortes Public Library.
Ferry Replacement Project Background
The Guemes Island ferry, M/V Guemes, was put into service in 1979 and operates 365 days a year, transporting roughly 200,000 vehicles and 400,000 passengers annually. In 2013, the Skagit County Commissioners requested a ferry replacement study to evaluate the best next steps for M/V Guemes as annual maintenance costs were steadily increasing, surpassing yearly ferry revenue funds and requiring substantial subsidies from the County Road Fund to continue operations. The study looked at the existing cost of operation then formulated replacement scenarios to determine the most economic replacement option. The conclusion was that immediate or near-term replacement of the vessel will minimize the overall cost of ownership and provide environmental improvements in vessel operation.
In 2016, Skagit County Public Works commissioned a propulsion and power study to evaluate the feasibility of an all-electric battery powered ferry for the replacement of the M/V Guemes. The report concluded that, given the specific route and environmental factors, an all-electric propulsion system would be feasible and should be considered for the replacement vessel.
In 2017, following a competitive solicitation, the County selected Glosten for the design of a replacement vessel for the Anacortes/Guemes Island route. At that time, the county’s vision was to develop a zero-emission alternative for the new vehicle and passenger ferry. Glosten’s initial tasks produced the following deliverables:
- Transportation System Assessment
- Vessel Capacity Study
- Concept Design Report
Between 2017 and 2023, Skagit County applied for and received $26M in state and federal funding for the project, with an additional $10M in stated funding slated for 2024. The team also completed concept and preliminary design packages for the ferry, shoreside charging infrastructure, and terminal improvements. At the end of 2023, it was estimated the entire project cost would be approximately $45M.
In November 2023, Skagit County released a request for bids to construct an all-electric ferry vessel to replace the M/V Guemes. Both eligible bids were ultimately rejected because they exceeded the available budget.
In 2024, an initiative was brought forward to the voters to repeal the Climate Commitment Act, a source of funding that included an additional $10M for the county. The repeal of the Climate Commitment Act may have additionally jeopardized $14M in transportation funding the County had previously received through the Move Ahead Washington bill. While the County waited to see the results of the repeal initiative, the Public Works division continued to work on the shoreline permit for the project until the result of the November vote was known.
The Climate Commitment Act was not repealed, and in 2025, Skagit County obligated $548,681 in Move Ahead Washington funding to competitively solicit a consultant to conduct value engineering (VE) for the project. This study, which will include a risk assessment, will evaluate the current design and bid package for the all-electric ferry vessel, and possible options for reducing costs of a new build. The VE results will be delivered to Skagit County and shared with TAG. To prioritize an objective VE effort, TAG’s role in the VE process will be limited to assisting the County in defining value. However, the study will be provided to TAG to assist with their work to recommend next steps for the ferry replacement project to the Board.
More information about the ferry replacement project is available on our website.
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