b'MEMBER NEWSConversion Complete of Washington State Ferries Jumbo Mark II Class VesselW ashingtonStateFerries (WSF)Wenatcheehy-brid-electricconversion projectwasrecentlycompleted,a milestone in the operations effort to modernize its aging fleet and reduce carbon emissions.The 202-vehicle Wenatchee, one of the three largest ferries in the WSF system andnowthelargestU.S.passenger ferry to be electrified, is expected to return to service on the Seattle/Bain-bridge route this summer.Workwascompletedovernearly21 months and included the removal of twodieselgenerators,construction oftwobatteryroomshousing864 battery modules, installation of new propulsioncontrolsystems,thou- WSFs diesel consumption by over 4.7greenhouse gas emissions from these sands of feet of new electric and fibermilliongallonsannuallyandreducevessels by roughly 95 percent.optic cable, and upgrades to onboard systems and passenger areas.WSF has accepted the vessel, and sea trials and crew training are now un-derway. Following a final U.S. Coast Guardreviewandadditionalprepa-rations, the Wenatchee will return to service in summer 2025. Follow WSFs Wenatchee blog for ongoing updates.TheconversionispartofWSFs long-termSystemElectrification Program,whichaimstomodernize PHOTO: WASHINGTON STATE FERRIESsix existing ferries and build 16 new hybrid-electric ferries by 2040. Once completed and using shore charging, theWenatchee,Tacoma,andPuy-allupcollectivelyknownasthe JumboMarkIIclasswillhelpcut 59 JUNE 2025'