Energy
Congratulations Bellingham: Together we exceeded the Green Power Community Challenge goal!
What was the Green Power Community Challenge?
Sustainable Connections, Puget Sound Energy and the City of Bellingham kicked off a community-wide challenge in 2006 to increase Green Power purchasing in Bellingham by 9 megawatt hours to reach 2% of the city-wide electrical load (outside of Western Washington University). Not only did we meet the goal – we exceeded it for a total of 40,000 MWh of Green Power purchasing, equaling over 11% of our electricity! Bellingham became the #1 EPA certified Green Power Community in America, and received a 2040-watt solar electric power system from PSE at Maritime Heritage Park as a reward for the campaign success. The installation includes an interactive kiosk with education about solar power and a real-time display of the power being generated by the project.
DID YOU KNOW?
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Western Washington University started purchasing 100% Green Power in 2005, thanks to a studentled initiative that passed by 84.7%.
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The Bellingham City Council unanimously voted to purchase 100% Green Power, starting in 2007.
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The Whatcom County Council voted to purchase 100% Green Power, starting in 2007.
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Over 100 businesses in Whatcom County have signed up to begin purchasing Green Power since of the start of the campaign.
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Bellingham became the #1 EPA certified Green Power Community in the nation in early 2007, and received the EPA's Green Power Purchaser Award later that year for making a significant purchase of renewable energy, which helps to build the market for green power.
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As a result of these successes, Bellingham earned a solar electric demonstration project on the Environmental Learning Center rooftop in Maritime Heritage Park, courtesy of PSE. A second solar demonstration project is due to be installed on the parking sheds of Depot Market Square in early 2008--also courtesy of PSE.
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Thanks to the large local purchases of Green Power that our community has made, PSE has been able to negotiate bulk discounts that significantly reduce the rate we all pay for Green Power – by approximately 40%.
How Can You Keep Bellingham #1?
Sign up to purchase Green Power in your home and business, and ask your friends and neighbors to join you in your support of renewable energy!
Please visit our Green Power Businesses Page to view Sustainable Connections member businesses that currently purchase Green Power, or to sign up your business.
See the real-time energy generation and usage from Bellingham's Environmental Learning Center solar demonstration project.
Learn more about Whatcom County's very own renewable energy source, a methane digester at VanderHaak Dairy, in Lynden, WA.
Download our Green Power Community Challenge info sheet HERE.
Calculate your own Green Power costs with our Green Power Calculator.
Puget Sound Energy's Green Power FAQs.
Get free 18 watt compact florescent light bulbs from Puget Sound Energy HERE.
***STAY TUNED FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION INFO & EVENTS, COMING IN EARLY 2008***
For more information about Green Power, contact Cathy Lehman at (360) 647-7093 x102 or cathy@sconnect.org.
