Washington

On January 24th, Seattle City Light presented its biennial conservation targets as required under Washington State’s I-937 statute. The statute requires the state’s 17 largest electric utilities to assess their 10 year conservation potential and establish a pro-rata share of that potential that is cost effective and achievable in a 2 year target. [Editor’s note: this methodological approach while often referred to as “all” cost effective conservation, in actuality only represents 46% of the 10 year cost effective potential.] SCL in its

The legislation with perhaps the greatest chance of affecting the energy efficiency business climate is not yet a bill. While no specific legislative language has been introduced, the concept of a job creating public infrastructure investment effort has visibly surfaced in major print media (eliciting the predictable editorial negative from the Seattle Times before there was even a bill to be negative about). For a positive read on the concept, turn to the The News Tribune - http://blog.thenew

The Washington State Legislature is a full two weeks into its scheduled 60 day 2012 session. While budget issues and gay marriage legislation are grabbing local headlines, there are a number of proposed bills dealing with energy and utilities and a handful of direct interest to the energy efficiency community. NEEC offers a convenient “Bill Tracker” link on the front page of its website [www.neec.net] found in the upper right hand corner of the home page. (Note, that Oregon bills will be tracked from this link when that state’s Legislature convenes – s

Join us for the fourth annual Green Professionals Conference on February 16, 2012 in Portland, Oregon. The conference is intended to educate, motivate and provide a forum to network and initiate conversations.

More than just a job fair, the conference is designed for corporations, government agencies, elected officials, universities, trade schools and nonprofits to gather under one roof to stimulate economic growth by strengthening the green job workforce.

The City of Seattle is sending letters to the owners of 8,000 buildings this week informing them of its new building energy-efficiency program. The program aims to help building owners and managers reduce their energy costs through benchmarking - or measuring and rating a building's energy performance. By benchmarking, owners get insight into how their building uses - and wastes - energy and can begin identifying opportunities to improve energy efficiency and increase savings.

With the announced retirement of Claire Fulenwider, NEEA Executive Director, earlier this year, the Board of Directors of the organization engaged a national search for her successor. Recently the Board announced that Susan Stratton would be the Executive Director. Stratton brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in energy policy, utility regulation, economics, and professional education programs for utility executives.

Visit our participating lighting vendors to ring in the savings with free and low cost CFLs, LEDs, reduced-wattage T8 lamps, and more!

Who should attend?

• PSE commercial customers who own buildings, manage properties and want to save money on

lighting products & utility bills.

What you can do at the event?

The City of Seattle's energy performance disclosure ordinance for non-residential and multi-family buildings had its first deadline on October 3rd. All non-residential buildings greater than 50,000 square feet were required to complete an ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager account for the building which establishes an energy use index (kBTU/sf/yr) and in most cases a benchmark score. This data is reported to the City's Department of Planning and Development and is required to be disclosed to any prospective buyer, lender, or lessee of the property.

The second biennium is approaching under Washington State's Energy Independence statute (aka I-937). Qualifying electric utilities (largest 17 in the state) must establish a conservation target for the upcoming 2 year period that is a pro-rata share of their 10 year conservation potential that is cost effective and achievable (as determined by a methodology consistent with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council).