Two Green-Collar Jobs Bills Pass the House

Legislation sponsored by two House Democrats aimed at encouraging growth in renewable energy jobs and manufacturing has been approved by the House of Representatives

House Bill 1301, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Morris, improves an existing program that provides incentives for energy consumers who use renewable sources to meet their electricity needs. It also includes new performance measurement tools to increase accountability and ensure that the tax credits administered under this program are accomplishing what they are meant to – helping to create new jobs in our state.

The state will use metrics, such as how many consumers are receiving credits and where they are buying their renewable energy systems, to measure the success of the program and assess how credits are given out. This will help reward companies that manufacture their products in Washington, expanding our clean energy economy and creating good-paying jobs for Washington families.

The second piece of legislation is House Bill 1663, sponsored by Rep. Steve Tharinger. It extends an existing sales and use tax exemption for a kind of biomass called “hog fuel” which, incidentally, has nothing to do with hogs. Hog fuel is a wood waste product, created from the limbs and branches left behind when timber is harvested. Turning this wood waste into renewable energy eliminates the need for open pile burning at the timber harvesting site, which means fewer emissions into our atmosphere.

In addition to being environmentally friendly, the resulting biomass product is a commodity itself that helps support timber industry jobs.These family-wage jobs tend to be located in areas of our state that suffer from stubborn unemployment, so it’s important to preserve these jobs and help the industry find ways to stay competitive in the global market.

Both pieces of legislation will create or maintain jobs here in Washington while reducing our dependence on outdated fossil fuels – further proof that it doesn’t have to be a choice between growing our economy and protecting our environment.

Read this story in Spanish.

Rep. Habib named to board of Innovate Washington

Rep. Cyrus Habib

Rep. Cyrus Habib will draw upon his background in working with high-tech entrepreneurs in his new position on the board of directors of Innovate Washington, a public-private partnership that seeks to spur cutting-edge economic development in the state.

Habib, who was appointed to the board Feb. 28 by House Speaker Frank Chopp, said:

This is a great opportunity for me to continue my work making Washington the No. 1 state for job creation and business innovation. My work in the Legislature will be substantially enhanced through the connection with business leaders and others at Innovate Washington.

Innovate Washington was created by the Legislature in 2011 to catalyze job creation and 21^st-century economic development by bringing together business and government leaders to focus expertise and investment on emerging technology businesses. It applies public and private financing to foster growth in the sectors of aerospace, advanced materials and manufacturing, clean energy, information technology, agriculture and life sciences.

Habib, a first-term legislator from Kirkland, is a lawyer at Perkins Coie in Seattle who specializes in providing legal services to high-tech startups. He is the sponsor of House Bill 1693, which seeks to attract entrepeneurs to Washington state by offering a business-tax break to new companies in targeted sectors of the economy.

Read this story in Spanish.

Schools – and taxpayers – save money with green building

In 2005, Washington made history: it became the first state in the nation to pass a green building law, after a big push by Rep. Hans Dunshee (D-Snohomish).

That means new schools, and other buildings, funded by state taxpayers are built smart, so taxpayers pay less for electricity every month.

In 2013, the Lake Stevens School District is taking that idea even further – and saving even more money.

The school has an energy specialist, Barb Ossowski, who trains teachers and staff how to cut energy costs.

Read the full KING 5 story here: Energy conservation spares Lake Stevens School District from cuts
 

Rep. Hans Dunshee

Here's the key passage from the story:

Since March 2010, the district has seen a 34 percent energy reduction, which amounts to about $1.5 million in savings. Instead of going towards utility bills, that money is used going back into classrooms. 

"Keeping money in our own pockets for our school and our children and that's what we're in the business for," said Ossowski. 

The effort has funded new textbooks, an AP class and spared teacher and staff positions from being cut. 

"We're also being good stewards of the environment," she said. 

The Lake Stevens School District was recently honored by the Environmental Protection Agency with an "Energy Star Award" for its energy efficiency, one of only four in the state with that distinction. 

For more about the state's efforts on green building, click here.

Read this story in Spanish here.

Energy-banking is an idea whose time must come

Slowly but surely, the science/technology of energy-banking left the realm of pipe dream and made its way into the real-life land of pipeline.

Energy-banking, stowing power away to be used a later day, is an idea whose time very much has come. In fact, according to a recent newspaper item (the [Vancouver] Columbian, "Northwest energy storage concepts explored," 2/5/2012): "… a group of researchers led by the Richland-based Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Bonneville Power Administration are exploring whether that idea can be" restyled into our own Pacific Northwest version of the "natural gas storage facilities that are common across the country." Study participants estimate they'll finish their work later this year.

The idea is to put excess energy in the "bank" -- sock it away "in the form of compressed air and water in the Northwest’s expansive, porous underground basalt formations." It is very important to keep the research ball rolling because our Northwest power grid is under a great deal of pressure. Notes the newspaper item: "Excess energy has been a problem in the past. Just last year, unusually high flows in the Columbia River Basin put the region’s hydroelectric dams at maximum capacity."

Enter the Legislature. Just recently the House Technology, Energy & Communications Committee conducted a fact-finding work session on energy-storage issues. The committee has already passed to the House Rules Committee an energy-storage bill, House Bill 2198, which is prime-sponsored by state Rep. Jeff Morris. The measure directs that electric utilities must do an assessment of energy-storage systems in the integrated resource plan that already must be done by the utilities. Energy-banking backers emphasize that energy-storage has huge potential, especially as it relates to renewable portfolio standards requirements.

What's more, federal Energy Secretary Steven Chu maintained in a February 2010 statement: "Without technological breakthroughs in efficient, large-scale energy storage, it will be difficult to rely on intermittent renewables for much more than 20 to 30 percent of our electricity."

A good example of the "intermittent renewables" to which the secretary refers would be a wind farm that generates power only when it’s windy. It's very difficult to count on these energy sources for consistent power, unlike a natural-gas plant.

House boosts Kittitas County solar project

A bill to give a financial lift to a major solar power project near Cle Elum won easy approval in the House Monday.

The bill, by Rep. Deb Eddy of Kirkland, doubles the renewable energy credits for power from the Teanaway Solar Reserve. That should significantly help backers obtain construction financing for the project, which will create jobs in Kittitas County.

“The entire electrical system is in the midst of a transformation,” Eddy said.  “The introduction of wind power into our grid was only the beginning.  The Teanaway project will bring utility-scale solar generation into the Washington mix, helping raise the profile of this renewable.”

The 80-9 vote for HB1365 sends the measure to the Senate. A similar Eddy bill cleared the House in the 2011 regular session but died in the Senate, as discussed in a June article in The Daily Record in Ellensburg.

To read this story in Spanish, click here.

How Enron is helping Washington businesses today

Remember Enron? Back in the day – 2001 – the Texas-based energy holding company served as the poster child for the evils of capitalism, thanks to scandals that involved accounting fraud and manipulation of the market for electrical power. Enron has since lost its spot in the hall of shame to Wall Street, but payback from its role in the manufactured energy crisis continues to benefit Washington businesses.

On Oct. 27, company and government officials held an open house to inaugurate the $1.6 million energy-efficient cooling system at WaferTech, a semiconductor manufacturer in Camas. More than $1 million for the project came in a grant from Clark Public Utilities via the Bonneville Power Administration. WaferTech put up $352,000, another $120,000 came from federal stimulus money – and $100,000 was provided in a grant from the Washington State University Extension Energy Program in Olympia.

That grant  from WSU was part of the money the extension program received from the state’s $9 million settlement with Enron in 2009, the result of a multistate legal action against the company for market manipulation. The settlement cash was a rare windfall for the WSU operation, extension program industrial services manager Christine Love said, and much of that money has been distributed to companies such as WaferTech in incentive grants for energy-saving projects.

Spokane: Tonight's the night for critiquing draft 2012 State Energy Strategy

Folks in the Spokane area are encouraged to pop by the Washington State University Spokane campus
early this evening for an opportunity to get their two cents in on the draft 2012 State Energy Strategy. The Washington State Department of Commerce is hosting the public meeting, 5-7 p.m., to review the Energy Strategy. Doors open at 4:30 for the get-together in Academic Center Room 147 of the WSU Spokane facility, which you'll find at 600 N. Riverpoint Blvd.
 
An advisory committee is using contributions from key stakeholders and private citizens in developing the state's new energy plan of action. The final document will be submitted in December. Opportunities for public comment will close Sunday, Oct. 23. You can submit comments via email or postal mail. The email address is energystrategy@commerce.wa.gov. The snail-mail address is Roel Hammerschlag, Department of Commerce/PO Box 42525/Olympia WA 98504.

Washington is bullish on renewable energy

Renewable energy? Not to worry. Folks in these parts have it covered. Fact is, we aren't a bit shy when it comes to developing renewable energy. For evidence supporting that very bold assertion, one need look no further than Initiative 937, a measure that stole the hearts of a solid majority of voters here a mere five years back.

Then, too, there's the State Energy Strategy, a collaborative effort championed by a wide range of extraordinary principles. The House Technology, Energy & Communications Committee, chaired by state Rep. John McCoy, has a lead role in this important mission. Voices of the Washington State Department of Commerce, the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission, and other state agencies also feature prominently in putting the Energy Strategy together. Advisory committee members, using input from key stakeholders and private citizens, are working toward development of the 2012 State Energy Strategy which will be submitted for consideration this coming December.

The draft 2012 State Energy Strategy can be yours for the reading at the state Department of Commerce website noted above. In fact, you best be marking your social calendar for a couple of upcoming, very special public meetings called to discuss the Energy Strategy. One meeting is planned 6 to 8, tonight, Oct. 12, in the Vicky L. Carwein Auditorium of the University of Washington Tacoma campus, 1900 Commerce St. A second get-together is set 5 to 7, Thursday evening, Oct. 20, in Academic Center Room 107 of the Washington State University Spokane campus, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd.

McCoy's committee will also discuss this titanic issue in its December meeting, with an eye toward developing pertinent energy legislation for review in the 2012 session of the Legislature. The Snohomish County lawmaker said distributed energy encompasses "a range of small power generation and energy-storage technologies that are placed at or near the actual point of energy-consumption."

Feds pick Washington for $80M in biofuel grants

Finding ways to move our state off of fossil-fuels from abroad has been a priority for House Democrats for years. In the 2006 legislation written by Rep. Hans Dunshee, the reasons for investing in biofuels are made clear. Here are a couple selected paragraphs from the beginning of the bill (read the whole bill here):

• Washington's dependence on energy supplied from outside the state and volatile global energy markets makes its economy and citizens vulnerable to unpredictable and high energy prices.
• Washington's dependence on petroleum-based fuels increases energy costs for citizens and businesses.
• Washington has abundant supplies of organic wastes from farms that can be used for energy production and abundant farmland where crops could be grown to supplement or supplant petroleum-based fuels.
• The bioenergy industry is a new and developing industry that is, in part, limited by the availability of capital for the construction of facilities for converting farm and forest products into energy and fuels.
• The energy freedom program is meant to lead Washington state towards energy independence.

These goals got a shot in the arm earlier this week when the United States Department of Agriculture announced that $80 million in grants for biofuel research will be coming here. The University of Washington will receive $40 million to pursue "sustainably grown woody energy crops to produce biogasoline and renewable aviation fuel," while Washington State University will lead up research in how to "convert closed timber mills into bioenergy development centers."

Grants went to other research efforts in other states, but the fact that $80 million of the overall $136 million is going to Washington is a testament to our research universities and the state's commitment to biofuels.

You can read the whole press release and quotes from many public and private-sector officials on the USDA website.

For even more coverage, you can go to The Seattle Times and CBS News.

To read this blog post in Spanish, please go here.

Utilizing Puget Sound's tides for power

In our continuing commitment to provide clean, renewable, and inexpensive sources of energy, Washington is once again the nation's epicenter for pioneering technological advances.

The US Department of Energy has teamed up with our own Snohomish PUD, providing them a $10 million grant to install two tidal energy turbines on the floor of Admiralty Inlet, just west of Whidbey Island. It's estimated the rapid tidal action there could generate more than 1 MW of electricity – enough to power about 700 homes.



This latest generation of tidal turbine is designed to run silently and have little effect on the local ecosystem.

“This funding bolsters our efforts to operate and evaluate tidal energy technology in the Puget Sound in order to assess its technical, economic, and environmental feasibility,” said PUD Board of Commissioners President Toni Olson. “We’re excited to be leading the way in the research of this innovative energy source – another tool to help us and the nation combat climate change and attain energy independence. We greatly appreciate the support of members of the Northwest Congressional delegation to help us secure this funding.”

Rep. Jay Inslee has been a strong advocate for tidal energy, as evidenced by his leadership in funding for marine hydrokinetic programs at DOE.

“Oceans hold the potential to become an unlimited supply of baseload renewable energy,” said Rep. Inslee. “Critical research and development is being done right now to harness this energy in the Puget Sound. Snohomish PUD is truly a pioneer in pursuing this innovative technology, and I congratulate them for winning this hard-earned award, which is a significant victory for Washington state and the future of renewable clean energy across the country.”

Voters in Washington overwhelmingly passed Initiative 937 in the Fall of 2006, which requires utilities to obtain a greater share of their energy supply from green, renewable sources, and reach a minimum of 15% of our supply by 2020.

Since then, the PUD has actively studied several sites in the Puget Sound, which, if developed, could produce enough energy for tens of thousands of homes. The utility launched its research effort in 2007, working with several technical partners, including the University of Washington, the Electric Power Research Institute, the National Renewable Energy Lab and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Marine Sciences Laboratory.

For information about the PUD’s tidal energy research and development, visit the Snohomish PUD's website on tidal power.

Washington’s clean energy future began today

In front of hundreds of people including representatives from the business, labor, and environmental communities, as well as legislators from both sides of the aisle and local elected officials, Governor Gregoire put her signature on Senate Bill 5769, setting a timetable to transition our state away from coal.

There was no better place to take this historic action than at the Trans Alta power plant in Centralia, with the company's CEO and employees present. In fact, Trans Alta President & CEO Steve Snyder declared it was the beginning of "…a new energy future."

Senate Bill 5769, sponsored by state Sen. Phil Rockefeller and shepherded through the House by Environment Committee Chairman Rep. Dave Upthegrove, is the culmination of several years of hard work to find a win/win solution that benefits both family-wage jobs and the environment. In remarks before the bill signing, Sen. Rockefeller said, "I've never seen such collaborative work evolve in this fashion."

Making a special guest appearance at the bill signing was House Speaker Frank Chopp, who came to show his support for the bipartisan measure. It was Speaker Chopp who put the idea for the bill on the table several years ago, and whose behind-the-scenes support helped it pass its final hurdles in the House.

The bill will make the plant in Centralia one of the cleanest coal-fired plants in the nation within just two years. By 2025, it will have transitioned away from coal, and toward new, cleaner energy technology. The timetable allows for both the necessary time and resources for an orderly shift to a greener future, and gives the local community greater economic certainty during this shift.

(Photo: Governor Gregoire with House Speaker Frank Chopp and Thurston-Lewis-Mason Labor Council president Bob Guenther after signing SB 5769 in Centralia today - courtesy Washington State Senate)

To read this blog post in Spanish, go here.

Energy-focused town hall with Rep. McCoy coming up this Saturday

So what does this new Green Century have in store for us in the world of power? No, not economic or political power. We’re talking energy power – the kind of power you need to run stuff, to produce widgets, and to make things happen. The power that keeps people working, keeps society humming, and keeps the wheels of commerce rotating.

Want to get the scoop on the latest goings-on in the powerful world of energy? Set aside an hour or two Saturday afternoon, March 19, for state Rep. John McCoy’s “Green Workers Keep the Evergreen State Working” Town Hall in Monroe.

McCoy’s Town Hall will power up at 1 and run till around 4 at the Qualco Bio-Gas Energy Facility, which is located at 18117 SE 203rd Street. Folks on hand for the afternoon’s events will no doubt enjoy hearing from representatives of – not to mention viewing informational booths provided by – Snohomish County Public Utility District No. 1, as well as Silicon Energy, Sunergy Systems, The Light Doctor, Puget Sound Energy (tentative), and, of course, Qualco Energy.

McCoy, who chairs the House Technology, Energy & Communications Committee, has also invited other legislators from around the region to join the Qualco tour and other educational activities. McCoy will talk about the 21st century economy and he’ll review what’s up in the Legislature as far as fuel for economic development is concerned.

Green Economy + Apprentices = Jobs of the Future

From the state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I):

The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) says a recently completed expansion of a Washington wind farm is a good example of how apprenticeship programs can help develop a skilled workforce for green-energy jobs.

Puget Sound Energy’s (PSE) expansion project, at the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility near Ellensburg, was completed using registered apprentices for at least 15 percent of the work. As such, it met the apprentice utilization requirements of Initiative 937, passed in 2006 to encourage the use and expansion of renewable energy and the training of Washington’s workforce in green jobs.

“Washington is a leader in training the next generation of skilled workers in the growing field of renewable energy,” said Melinda Nichols, manager of L&I’s apprenticeship program, which oversees training standards of registered apprenticeship. “During these tough economic times when many people are out of work, Washington was able to put 25 registered apprentices to work building skills for their future and the future of our state.”

Along those lines, Greenopia, a directory of eco-friendly retailers, services, and organizations, has ranked Washington the greenest state in the nation, thanks in large part to our vast number of LEED-certified buildings.

Their statement reads:

Washington has better than average air and water quality according to data from the EPA and American Lung Association. Washington has a very good recycling rate at around 45%, and its state government has been very progressive in adopting environmental initiatives. Washington has a large number of green businesses and LEED buildings (ones that are both registered and certified), even when you scale them to its population. It is also one of the greener states in terms of its per capita emissions, energy consumption, and water consumption. Lastly, Washington is one of the top states in renewable energy sourcing.

Greenopia's one concern for our state is our heavy dependence on hydroelectric energy, and they'd like to see us diversify our renewable energy portfolio. But maybe the aforementioned Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility will make us even more Number Onerer.

It’s not sold at your state liquor store…

Olympia is all about insider baseball with its acronyms, legislative jargon, and terms unknown outside of small circles.

Try "black liquor," for instance. It’s a part of a hot issue in Olympia, but what does it mean?
a) Material used in transportation projects
b) Renewable bio-fuel product
c) Liquor not sold through official stores
d) Pollution buildup caused by storm water

We asked Rep. John McCoy for a little help. Click the video below to find out what it is.

Rep. Deb Eddy does the electric slide

Powerpoint slides about electric vehicles, that is.

Today, Rep. Deb Eddy spoke to a packed room of entrepeneurs, policy leaders and others who are leading the charge in designing the next generation of automobiles.

Smart-minded and green-minded folks around the world are looking to electric vehicles (EV) as the likely mainstream choice for car consumers in the near future. There are numerous policy and technological challenges yet to be resolved, and Rep. Eddy has spent countless hours working on the policy pieces.

Last session she passed HB 1481 which sets in motion the effort to create the infrastructure needed to encourage use of electric vehicles. Rep. Eddy plans to continue working on this issue in the upcoming 2010 session.

Other speakers at the Sustainable Communities Initiative and Clean Cities Conference included former Governor Slade Gorton, Congressman Jay Inslee and former King County Executive Ron Sims. There were numerous cars and technology models on display as well.

Stay cool.

With some scorchers predicted to hit Washington over the next week or so, Speaker Pro Tem Jeff Morris has a list of tips to help beat the heat without getting beat up by high energy bills.

Check out the list here.

The cold realities of warmer summers

In 2007, the Legislature passed legislation aimed at tackling climate change and encouraging more use of green energy.

The legislation, known as the Energy Freedom bill, included a provision directing the University of Washington to complete a climate change assessment and an analysis of the potential human health impacts of climate change.

The draft report has just been released and represents the most comprehensive look ever at the impacts climate change will have on our state's agriculture, human health, coasts, energy, forests, urban stormwater infrastructure, salmon and water. Some of the conclusions are particularly sobering, such as predicted increases in mortality rates due to hotter summers.

According to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which participated in the study:

The study projects that, by 2020 and into the 2080s, Washington will experience higher temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and lower summer water supplies. The report also details the potential economic impacts of these changes on families, businesses, and communities.

The report states:

Preparing for (or adapting to) the impacts of climate change is necessary to minimize the negative consequences of climate change in Washington State, including an increased risk for drought, forest fires, habitat loss, and heat stress. Adapting to climate change also creates opportunities to maximize the benefits of climate change, such as a longer growing season and increased winter hydropower production.

The report is intended to help guide local and state governments in making the "regulatory, legal, institutional, and cultural changes to reduce the barriers that limit building a more climate resilient Washington."

This is a good read for anyone wanting a local take on a global problem.

House adjorned at 1:15 this morning; due back in at 10:00

After more than three hours of debate that stretched into the wee hours of this morning, the House passed important legislation that sets guidelines for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our state (SB 5735). About 20 amendments were offered and the discussion was very heated at times. But ultimately the bill was approved and sent back to the Senate for their consideration of House amendments.

There will be more excitement on the floor today as we debate measures to extend additional rights and responsibilities to registered domestic partners in our state and elect the President of the United States by popular vote.

Stay tuned!

It's Jeff Morris Day in the TEC Committee

And it's not even his birthday.

It was, however, a day chock full of Morris bills in the committee: four of his proposals were given public hearings. Among them, an interesting bill that would create a new sustainable-energy trust for the state.

The voluntary program would allow the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development (CTED) to offer low-interest loans to private home and commercial-building owners for energy-efficient or renewable energy improvements. In return, property owners who opt for the loans would pay back the costs for the improvements as part of their property taxes over a 20-year period.

The improvements cover a wide range of materials, devices, and systems, from storm windows and doors, automatic heating or air conditioning systems, to solar panels, wind energy, and even biomass and geothermal energy systems.

Read more about the proposal here.