​Policy Tours
Learn first-hand the key issues and innovative industries in our region by participating on policy tours in the greater area.

Attendees must be registered for a tour in order to attend. Please register in advance or onsite at the registration desk, pending availability. Waitlists will be made available onsite for any tours that are full in advance. 

Disclaimer: Space is limited on policy tours and may be prioritized for PNWER board members and legislative attendees. PNWER reserves the right to adjust participation as needed.​

Puget Sound Energy's Snoqualmie Falls Hydroelectric Project

Experience the Power of History at Snoqualmie Falls!
Wednesday July 23, 2025 from 1:45 - 5:30pm
This tour is currently full. Please email [email protected] to be put on the waitlist.

​Puget Sound Energy's Snoqualmie Falls Hydroelectric Project, located about 30 miles east of Seattle on the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains, is one of the oldest hydropower plants in the United States. As one of the nation’s oldest hydropower plants, this historic site has been generating clean energy for over a century. Attendees will tour Plant 1, the world’s first fully underground powerhouse, hidden 270 feet beneath the falls.

After operating for more than a century, the facility still produces clean, renewable electricity for PSE customers. The project contains a small diversion structure just upstream from Snoqualmie Falls, and two powerhouses. The first powerhouse is encased in bedrock 260 feet beneath the surface and was the world's first completely underground power plant. Together, the two power plants currently have 53 megawatts of generating capacity.
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PPE will be provided. Closed toe shoes and pants are required. Space is limited to 30 people.

Learn more: ​www.pse.com/en/pages/facilities/snoqualmie-falls

Cybersecurity Policy Tour: Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit

​Leading the Fight Against Cybercrime
Wednesday, July 23, 2025 from 2:00 - 3:30pm
This tour is currently full. Please email [email protected] to be put on the waitlist.

Join us for an exclusive policy tour exploring how Microsoft is tackling today’s most sophisticated cyber threats. Cybercrime has evolved into a complex, organized ecosystem, with both criminal and state-affiliated actors constantly refining their tactics. Microsoft is on the frontlines, analyzing 78 trillion security signals daily with AI and leveraging the expertise of 34,000 dedicated security engineers.

This tour will offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit (DCU), a global team of technical, legal, and intelligence experts working to disrupt cybercriminal networks. Learn how Microsoft partners with governments and law enforcement to combat cyber threats, safeguard critical infrastructure, and enhance global digital security. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with leading cybersecurity professionals and see firsthand how Microsoft is shaping the future of cyber defense.

​Space is limited to 24 people.

Werkhoven Dairy Policy Tour

Experience a guided tour of Werkhoven Dairy highlighting sustainable farming practices, renewable energy innovation, and collaborative partnerships with tribal and regional stakeholders.
Wednesday, July 23, 2025 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

This guided tour highlights innovative, climate-smart practices in modern agriculture, with a focus on sustainability, animal welfare, and cross-sector collaboration. Participants will visit a maternity barn to learn about daily care for pregnant cows, including herd health monitoring, comfort-focused barn design, and responsible breeding practices. The tour continues with an in-depth look at the Qualco anaerobic digester, a unique partnership between the farm and the Tulalip Tribes that transforms manure into renewable energy. Attendees will explore how this project supports nutrient recycling, emissions reduction, and circular economy principles, while also exemplifying successful co-governance in energy and environmental initiatives.

Fusion Energy Tour

Witness the Power of the Sun!
Thursday, July 24, 2025 9am - 11am
This tour will depart the hotel around 8am and return around 12pm
This tour is currently full. Please email [email protected] to be put on the waitlist.

​Many people confuse nuclear fusion with nuclear fission. Although they sound similar, the processes are very different. In fact, they are essentially opposites. Where fission breaks up massive nuclei, fusion – the process that powers the Sun – works by combining smaller nuclei into bigger ones. Fusion does not have a risk of meltdown and does not generate long-lived radioactive waste. It relies on inexpensive, abundant fuel sources. Viable fusion power would mean a sustainable, safe, on-demand energy source unlike anything available today.

This tour will explore the burgeoning fusion industry in Washington state. Attendees will visit cutting-edge facilities, meet experts driving innovation, and explore how fusion energy is shaping a sustainable future.
ZAP ENERGY- 9am - 11am
Zap Energy is building a low-cost, compact and scalable fusion energy technology without the size and complexity of other approaches. The concept, developed at the University of Washington and known as a sheared-flow-stabilized Z pinch, confines and compresses plasma without the need for superconducting magnetic coils or powerful lasers. A Zap Energy power plant will be modular, dispatchable, safe, and carbon-free.

Visitors on this tour of Zap will meet fusion experts and see FuZE and FuZE-Q, the compact fusion devices Zap is using to advance its fusion plasmas toward the point known as Q>1, where more energy leaves the plasma than what was put in to drive the fusion process. They will also see the engineering systems being developed for a fusion power plant based on Zap’s concept, including flowing liquid metal walls, industrial pulsed-power systems, and a first-of-its-kind integrated technology platform called Century. 

​Space is limited to 24 people.

Space Sector Tour

Exploring the Pacific Northwest’s Space Innovation Corridor
Thursday, July 24 approximately 8am - 2:30pm

Join us for an exclusive policy tour showcasing the Greater Seattle region’s rapidly growing space cluster. This tour will take attendees behind the scenes at several leading-edge aerospace and space technology hubs, including a visit to Kymeta, a global leader in innovative satellite communications solutions, and Portal Space Systems, a trailblazer in advanced propulsion and space infrastructure.
Participants will gain first-hand insight into the cutting-edge technologies shaping commercial space exploration, learn about the regional economic impacts of the space sector, and explore how cross-border policy and collaboration can support the growth of this vital industry.
This tour is limited to 20 people. 

Offsite Activities

We encourage attendees to explore Bellevue and Seattle during their stay!

​Seattle Mariners vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Spend your evening enjoying America's favorite pastime!
Tuesday, July 22, 2025, first pitch at 6:40pm
Join us for an unforgettable evening of camaraderie and baseball at the iconic T-Mobile Park! The Seattle Mariners are set to face off against the Milwaukee Brewers, and as a PNWER Annual Summit attendee, you have exclusive access to discounted tickets in a specially reserved seating area. Don't miss this opportunity to bond with fellow attendees while enjoying America's favorite pastime. Get your tickets today and be a part of the excitement!

To purchase tickets, through the Seattle Mariners, visit https://www.gofevo.com/event/PNWERSEA25. Tickets are $35 USD plus fees. All sales are final. Please note that PNWER is not responsible for ticketing support or purchase assistance.
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Attendees will be responsible for organizing their own transportation. Feel free to organize ride shares with other Summit attendees through the Whova app. Play ball!
Stay tuned for additional policy tours!