Renew America Success Stories

Environmental and Conservation Programs

Description

Seattle City Light is a municipally-owned electric utility serving the greater Seattle area and dedicated to promoting and supporting efficient use of electricity through conservation programs. These programs minimize the need to construct new sources of power generation.

City Light's conservation program, created in 1977, provides conservation information to customers and offers financial incentives to encourage customers, for example, to insulate their homes, install energy-efficient hot water tanks and install energy-efficient lighting and equipment (in commercial and industrial facilities).

City Light also developed an environmental program in 1975 that, among other efforts, is responsible for the management of their hydroelectric resources to ensure sustainable fisheries. Additional environmental initiatives include an integrated pest management program, a pollution prevention program, a recycling program and the establishment of the Skagit Environmental Endowment Fund to help protect the Upper Skagit watershed.

In establishing these programs, City Light has emphasized the economic value of efficiency-based investments. A recent study suggests that investments in energy conservation, when compared to traditional energy supply options, create roughly twice as many total jobs. In addition, City Light has worked hard to collaborate with local environmental groups, Native American tribes and other parties to ensure long-lasting partnerships. "Partnerships and collaboration have now become City Light's standard procedure to resolve natural resource issues," says Kirvil Skinnarland, City Light's Environment and Safety Director.

Program Highlights

Conservation Program

• In 1992, City Light adopted an aggressive conservation program designed to save 100 average megawatts of energy by 2003 by focusing primarily on developing a new delivery means, focusing more on savings in the commercial and industrial sectors and creating private sector partnerships to encourage conservation.
• In 1992, City Light worked with other city departments and utilities to develop the successful Home Water Savers program. In this program, Home Water Saver Kits were distributed door-to-door, free of charge, to almost 200,000 residences within the city.
• Planned in concert with the Fremont community, City Light served as the catalyst for the Fremont Neighborhood Power Project, designed to conserve scarce community resources through energy and water conservation, solid waste reduction, and recycling programs.

• The Skagit River, home to wild pink and chum salmon, also powers three hydroelectric dam turbines that provide 30% of Seattle's electricity. After years of scientific study, City Light entered into a collaborative effort with state and federal agencies and concerned Native American tribes to develop and reach an agreement on a flow management plan that would maximize electricity generation while minimizing impact on the salmon runs. A monitoring program has been created to ensure the continued success of the program, and to enable City Light to make flow adjustments, if necessary.
• Recovered salmon runs have resulted in more jobs, recreation and expanded opportunities for both commercial and sport fisheries.
• Recovered salmon runs have also ensured a reliable supply of food for bald eagles during the winter months.
• The Integrated Pest Management Program was developed to minimize the use of pesticides on City Light's rights-of-way and substations by using the least toxic method of pest control possible for any given pest problem.
• The Pollution Prevention Program was developed to reduce the quantity or toxicity of hazardous waste and chemicals used or produced by City Light.
• City Light created the Skagit Environmental Fund in 1984 with a $4 million endowment and $80,000 annual contributions. The Fund works to preserve the Upper Skagit area and to maintain and enhance recreational facilities that are consistent with environmental protection.
• City Light was the first utility in the Northwest to sign a climate accord with the United States Department of Energy to help reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses in the United States. Key components of City Light's programs to achieve this goal are its energy conservation program, system efficiency upgrades, development of renewable hydroelectric power, urban tree planting and the purchase and preservation of lands for wildlife habitat.
• City Light administers an aggressive recycling program that includes white ledger paper, mixed paper, cardboard, aluminum and glass.
• City Light entered into a collaborative consensus process for hydroelectric relicensing that successfully resolved differences among governmental, tribal and environmental groups in relicensing its Skagit and Tolt hydro projects.

Vital Statistics

Program Management/Partnerships: The Environmental and Conservation Programs are managed by Seattle City Light, a municipally-owned facility that has entered in partnerships with local environmental groups, Native American tribes, other city departments and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Budget: The latest figures are available by contacting the program.

Community Served: The 334,000 Seattle residents who purchase power from Seattle City Light; local residents who benefit from improved fish runs and a healthy river basin and Native Americans who rely on salmon for commerce and ceremonial purposes.

Measures of Success:

Conservation Program

City Light's conservation programs have saved almost 2.5 million megawatt hours from 1977 through 1993.

Since 1977, more than 300,000 residential participating customers and more than 7,000 commercial and industrial participating customers in City Light's conservation programs have saved $93 million on their electric bills.

The aggressive energy conservation plan, designed to achieve 100 average megawatts of energy savings by 2003, has saved 20 average megawatts in the first three years, putting the program 40% ahead of its annual targets.

Environmental Program

Restoration efforts on the Skagit River now enable that river to support Washington's largest populations of wild pink and chum salmon.

The Integrated Pest Management program has reduced pesticide use by 50% - 75%.

Through the Climate Challenge Accord, City Light expects to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) by at least 1.8 million tons of between 1990 and 2000.

City Light recycles an average of about 75 tons of office waste each year. Much of the paper that is recycled is routed back to the mill that makes it, thereby closing the recycling loop.

Success stories designed by Mark Nowak

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