Bellingham and utility provider sign this accord to fight climate change
Bellingham and Whatcom County Public Utility District 1 are joining forces to address climate change by working toward renewable energy projects together.
Under an interlocal agreement approved unanimously by the Bellingham City Council on Monday, Oct. 25, the city and the PUD will pursue possible carbon-reduction initiatives — which could include a study to identify renewable-energy resources, energy conservation and efficiency initiatives, and other methods of reducing carbon emissions from electricity use, according to the text of the agreement.
“There need to be more efforts, there need to be parallel efforts, to achieve our common goals to reduce the impacts due to climate change,” Public Works Director Eric Johnston told the City Council during a committee hearing on the agreement.
Bellingham approved a Climate Action Protect Plan in 2007, and recently set new goals to use 100% renewable energy within the next 10 to 15 years.
“We see there’s value in looking at this together. We have something in mind, but we’re not quite ready to discuss that,” he said.
PUD-1 supplies water and electricity to commercial, industrial, agricultural and municipal customers and could supply water and power to the entire county.
But “this interlocal agreement is not to supplant or replace PSE,” Johnston said.
Brian Walters, PUD-1’s director of utility operations, said the PUD currently gets 95% of its power from renewable and non-emitting sources.
PUD-1 Commissioner Grant said the district is looking into adding solar-power resources.
Bellingham Councilman Michael Lilliquist said he hopes the agreement will result in new energy programs.
“To meet our goals, we can’t just move the same power production around. We need to actually create new power-production capabilities,” he said.
