Communities for a Healthy Bay is building Tacoma’s first electric vessel — with an assist from One Pierce

With early support from One Pierce, Elevate Health’s social impact loan fund, Tacoma-based nonprofit Communities for a Healthy Bay is partnering with local shipbuilder Silverback Marine to build Tacoma’s first fully electric vessel.

In 2025, One Pierce provided a bridge loan to help Communities for a Healthy Bay move forward with manufacturing the electric patrol ship, an innovative project that may be among the first of its kind in the world. The effort not only advances clean maritime technology but also helps establish infrastructure that could encourage additional electric vessels in Commencement Bay.

Communities for a Healthy Bay has a long history of protecting Puget Sound by reducing pollution, safeguarding wildlife, and addressing broader environmental and social determinants of health. Their work has made a significant impact across Tacoma and Pierce County, including pushing for better and faster cleanups of the 250 contaminated sites in the Tacoma tide flats. Replacing the current gasoline-powered boat, the new electric patrol vessel will be used to monitor waters in and around the Port of Tacoma for pollution. 

The electric vessel is being funded by the Washington Climate Commitment Act, which is distributed on a reimbursement basis, so the One Pierce bridge loan played an essential role in getting the project off the ground. Communities for a Healthy Bay and Silverback Marine have been developing the vessel for two years, working through several design iterations as pioneers in the electric maritime space.

Excitement around the project continues to grow and the new boat is expected to be completed in August 2026. The vessel remains unnamed for now—both out of seafaring superstition and a desire to make the naming a community‑involved celebration. Moving from gasoline to electric represents a major step forward for the health of Puget Sound and underscores what’s possible when local innovation and mission‑driven financing come together.