Electrifying port infrastructure and traffic is already slow-moving at the expense of nearby communities, and in the absence of clean energy regulation for ports in Washington, these projects heavily rely on funding from the contested Climate Commitment Act.
With permit applications for new apartment buildings still down in Seattle, the Harrell Administration is hoping to hit the brakes on a planned ramp-up of additional energy efficiency requirements in new buildings.
A new hydrogen fuel cell bus has arrived in Snohomish County, offering another path toward fleet electrification goals for the county’s main transit provider.
Seattle could hit the brakes on implementing an energy code that’s much more stringent than the state code, in the hopes of getting more housing units into the development pipeline.
Facing record-breaking demand, offshore wind could balance the state’s clean energy portfolio, covering gaps in peak winter months. When Governor Jay Inslee announced the Blue Wind Supply Chain Collaborative alongside local industrial and port leaders in October, it was clear Washington State wanted offshore wind manufacturing jobs. What was
“Those who assume that a net-zero building like the Bullitt Center is either too expensive to be profitable or requires cutting edge technology are mistaken.” When the Bullitt Center – the world’s first commercial building to achieve net-zero use of energy and water – opened in Seattle in 2013, it was
Landlords are pushing to delay implementation schedules and lessen fees. When asked about the causes of climate change, most may picture cars, coal mines, and power plants. But fewer consider the buildings we occupy. Yet, our buildings represent a sizable portion of planet-warming emissions. Nationwide, residential and commercial buildings account
Floating offshore wind energy platforms are coming to California, as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has concluded its first sale of leases permitting the installation of platforms on the outer continental shelf. Five companies picked up leases, each between $130 million and $173 million, to install turbines in
Yesterday, Senate Democrats made a surprise announcement that they finally had a climate bill likely to clear the chamber after Sen. Joe Manchin (D – West Virginia) finally acquiesced after blocking a series of earlier efforts. Unfortunately, the bill, dubbed Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, offered almost no support for transit,
Few things perfectly encapsulate the problems of planning like a city’s land use code. Unlike the building code, which dictates the life safety requirements to make sure a building doesn’t burn down or collapse, the land use code simply sets your building’s height, location, and how much
If America wants to green up its economy, it’s going to need to make huge investments in transmission facilities to transport greener energy sources. Vox explains how transmission networks could be a stumbling block to a greener paradigm.
Top goals include passing a transit-focused transportation package and reforming growth management. The impacts of climate change are upon us. Just this year, we’ve seen wildfire smoke blanketing the nation from the West Coast to New York, unprecedented rainfall turning the streets of East Coast cities to canals while
Across the country, climate change-fueled extreme weather events are causing increasingly frequent power outages and are presenting a growing threat to our nation’s energy infrastructure. Last winter, Texas’s electrical grid failed spectacularly following an unexpected, deep freeze while this summer’s heat and drought fanned the flames of
But legislature’s “grand bargain” complicates the picture and may tie bills to highway expansion package. Sign our letter to oppose that. Last Thursday, the Washington Senate cleared two hurdles that had dogged them for years, finally approving a low-carbon clean fuels standard and leveling a price on carbon emissions
I love numbers. I was raised by my single mother, a public school teacher and math specialist to love numbers and data, something I still carry with myself today. It shows up in various ways in my life: geometric patterns in my designs, being the first volunteer in a group
That freakish gas flare erupting from the sidewalk in the Central District on February 24th was an ominous double-warning about the danger of relying on fossil fuels and specifically depending on Puget Sound Energy (PSE), a private, for-profit gas company whose owners have repeatedly shown that they are more interested
It turns out that fracking is not as lucrative as it was once thought, Bloomberg Quicktake explains.
In Seattle’s latest update to its energy code, bans were levied on fossil fuel and electric resistance heating systems in commercial buildings and three-plus-story multifamily residences. One exception to that ban was for district heating systems that can and do burn carbon fuels in Seattle. District heating is a
Seattle is looking to significantly cut the environmental impact of its new commercial and residential buildings with the adoption of the 2018 Seattle Energy Code, which is being kicked around the Seattle City Council in new legislation. This legislation would realize a code consisting of the 2018 International Energy Conservation
Let’s try to build a picture of King County’s waste issues. For the last couple of weeks, I have been working on an article about the Seattle and King County wastewater and solid waste systems. That’s a combination of sewage and garbage and recycling and compost, all
Nuclear power accounts for nearly 20% of American electricity generation, which still outpaces renewable power generation by a few points. That output is done at legacy facilities since the United States has not completed a new nuclear power plant in three decades. However that appears likely to change soon, and
In 2014 and 2017, the Washington Geological Survey was awarded grants by the Department of Energy to prospect and validate geothermal resources throughout the State of Washington. Washington’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) produced a geothermal favorability map using modeling techniques. In Washington state, the Cascade mountain range is
Solar power dominates the urban renewable energy conversation, but wind can also generate a significant portion of cities’ energy needs locally. Typically not associated with our cities, sprawling wind farms are the most common and efficient model for wind energy generation. Integrating wind into urban portfolios is challenging–towering horizontal
It’s been a few months since the initial outbreak of Covid-19, and pandemic has already altered our societal fabric in profound ways. Fewer people are frequenting stores and restaurants, travel has decreased significantly, and we’ve been forced into the worst economic recession in recent history. More than 23.
The buzzwords “smart grid” have been floating around in environmentalist circles, national security circles, and it’s even made an appearance in urbanist media. Hype surrounding the “smart grid” claims major environmental benefits, increased affordability, and energy security. So, what is the “smart grid” and what does it look like?
In 2018, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that the Miller Community Center would soon be home to a $3.3 million solar microgrid. This project is being funded by Seattle City Light and Governor Inslee’s Clean Energy Fund. Construction is expected to be completed in 2020. The microgrid will
Yesterday, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced executive action ending the use of fracked gas infrastructure in City buildings. It represents a small step toward decoupling our government from fossil fuels and achieving the vision of the Seattle Green New Deal, but an important one. “The mayor’s action today on municipal
Known for its dearth of sunshine, Seattle is not commonly considered a city ripe for residential solar power, also known as solar photovoltaic energy, or solar PV. However, many Seattle residents may be surprised to hear that many buildings in Seattle are solar viable, and numerous buildings in the area