Seattle
Seattle received a $5.5M grant from FEMA to install air conditioning at five branch libraries: Columbia, Fremont, Queen Anne, University, and West Seattle as part of a program to establish resilience hubs. FEMA will supply 90% of the funding, and the remaining costs are split evenly between the City and the State. Completion is expected in two years.
Seattle received $17.2M grant to support the new Building Emissions Performance Standards from the US Department of Energy under the Inflation Reduction Act’s support for Latest and Zero Building Codes provision. The money will be used to fund enhanced services for building owners making conversions, starting in late 2025 and 2026.
Seattle’s Commercial Energy Code update has been proposed by the mayor to council. ShiftZero notes that as a result of advocacy, “these code updates are significant to support alignment and compliance with Seattle’s BEPS policy, and are a foundation for keeping the city on a path to emissions reduction goals.” They are before the Council now, and if approved will go into effect in November.
Seattle Neighborhood Greenways has voted to endorse Seattle’s Transportation Levy, on the ballot in November, and you can read their rationale here. Ryan Packer appeared on the Hacks and Wonks podcast, and in addition to an excellent conversation about Vision 0, talked in depth about the Levy (audio here, starting at 33:30).
City Council continues to delay action on I-137, the city initiative to fund social housing. The initiative has enough signatures, but the city hasn’t yet acted to put it on the ballot, or decided whether to add a competing initiative alongside.
State
The Seattle Times has endorsed a No vote on I-2117. Volunteer opportunities to help out the No campaign are here.
The Northwest Progressive Institute released polling results for I-2117 and I-2066 showing both are polling below 50%. Polls from July reported in the Seattle Times on the contrary suggested that a Yes vote was more likely.
I-2066 is a state-wide initiative on the ballot that would basically make it impossible to make laws around transitioning off natural gas. The No on I-2066 campaign has set up a website here, and ShiftZero has a one-pager on it. Among other local impacts that would have on us, it would remove large parts of Seattle and King County’s Commercial Energy Codes and rollback Seattle’s Building Emissions Performance Standards. Individuals can pledge to vote no, Groups can endorse opposition, and cities and counties can pass resolutions opposing it (example draft resolution).
The Commerce Dept has announced $26M in grants for grid resiliency and reliability under the Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. “Projects that increase the reliability and resiliency of power grids within small utility territories are eligible for this funding. Projects must improve the reliability and resilience of the grid against disruptive events, such as extreme weather, wildfires, and/or natural disasters.”
Elsewhere
Berkeley, which passed a gas ban that was overturned by the Ninth Circuit Court is making another pass at transitioning off the fossil fuel. It has a city initiative on the November ballot that would levy a tax on gas for large building owners, and give the proceeds to lower income building owners to fund the transition.
AND…PROPOSED RESOLUTION FROM CITY COUNCIL RE I 2066
Resolution opposing Initiative 2066
A RESOLUTION OF THE SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL, WASHINGTON, IN OPPOSITION TO WASHINGTON STATE BALLOT INITIATIVE 2066 CONCERNING REGULATING ENERGY SERVICES, INCLUDING NATURAL GAS AND ELECTRIFICATION
WHEREAS, Washington State has placed a ballot measure before the voters, and the official ballot measure title is “Initiative Measure No. 2066 concerns regulating energy services, including natural gas and electrification”; and
WHEREAS, the Office of the Secretary of State Elections Division has completed and certified signature verification for the Initiative; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 is scheduled to go to the voters for the Washington General Election on November 5, 2024; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 would require utilities and local governments to provide natural gas to eligible customers; prevent state approval of rate plans requiring or incentivizing gas service termination, restricting access to gas service, or making it cost-prohibitive; and prohibit the State Energy Code, localities, and air pollution control agencies from penalizing gas use; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 would repeal sections of chapter 351, Laws of 2024, including planning requirements for cost-effective electrification and prohibitions on gas rebates and incentives; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 would limit towns, cities, and counties from making decisions that work best for their communities; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 would strike from our building codes any power to encourage lower emissions buildings; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 would take away Seattle’s right to its own Commercial Energy Code, which the City uses to reduce the load on Seattle City Light and costs to building owners; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 would be in conflict with and supercede Seattle’s new Building Emissions Performance Standards; and
WHEREAS, globally, cities are responsible for 70% of climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions, and 37% of Seattle’s emissions come from buildings, and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 would interfere with Seattle’s efforts to decrease building emissions in a timely manner, and jeopardize Seattle’s ability to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 would roll back sensible modern standards that make homes and businesses more energy efficient; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 would make energy bills more expensive and raise costs for families and individuals living on low incomes; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 would force utility companies to keep investing in outdated technology and pass the costs on to customers; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 would jeopardize energy efficiency programs and take away important customer rebates and reduce access to efficient, money-saving appliances; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 would reverse existing laws that keep our utilities on the path to clean energy; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2066 would have far-reaching impacts that would undermine our Clean Air Act, threatening health protections against harmful air pollution; and
WHEREAS, local partners like UAW, Seattle Restaurants United, Sheet Metal Workers Local 66, SEIU 925, Sierra Club – Washington Chapter, King County Medical Society, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, and many others, oppose Initiative 2066; and
WHEREAS, RCW 42.17A.555(1) authorizes the Council to take action to express a collective decision, or to actually vote upon a motion, proposal, or ordinance, or to support or oppose a ballot measure so long as (a) the agenda includes the title and number of the ballot proposition, and (b) members of the public and councilmembers are afforded an approximately equal opportunity to express an opposing view; and
WHEREAS, consistent with the procedural mandates of RCW 42.17A.555, the Council considered a resolution in opposition to Initiative 2066 at its [DATE], 2024 Meeting, and during said meeting, the Council afforded members of the public and Council and approximately equal opportunity for expression of a supporting or opposing view on Initiative 2066; and
WHEREAS, with this resolution, the Council desires to oppose Initiative 2066;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL, WASHINGTON, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Seattle City Council adopts this resolution to express its official position in opposition of Initiative 2066 concerning regulating energy services, including natural gas and electrification.
PASSED BY THE Seattle City Council, WASHINGTON AT A MEETING THEREOF THIS [DATE], 2024.