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News and Updates from Seattle City Light

Seattle City Light Funds Glacier Recession Research

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Glacier-fed Diablo Lake

Seattle City Light recently funded a study which researched and forecasted the recession patterns of glaciers in our region. The research article, titled “Glacier Recession and the Response of Summer Streamflow in the Pacific Northwest United States, 1960-2099,” explores the recent recession patterns of these glaciers whose melt and water flow will impact hydroelectric power generation, agricultural water supply, and the ecological health of the watersheds downstream. Along with funding a portion of the research, City Light advised on the scope of the project to provide insight into when streamflows were most important for power generation, recreation, and fish protection.

Through hydrological modeling, the study found that primarily temperature-induced shrinking of glaciers will increase throughout this century. The model showed that the glaciers in the North Cascades could nearly disappear by the year 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are not curbed.

For Ronda Strauch, City Light’s climate change adaptation researcher and adviser, this research is vital to not only the health of the glaciers but shapes how utilities that generate power with hydroelectricity like City Light will continue their operations in the future.

“We look to research like this for future predictions of inflows into the reservoirs and how much hydroelectric power our utility will be able to produce,” explains Strauch. “We wanted to make sure that glacier activity was added to this hydrologic model used in this research to get a better picture of streamflow into our reservoirs. It could also guide our operational changes in the future, such as controlling water levels to reserve for the summer months. This will help us decipher the long-term consequences of these melting glaciers.”

One of the consequences is the potential lowering water levels along the Skagit River during late summer. In keeping with City Light’s commitment to environmental stewardship, such as supporting the salmon recovery plan that protects and restores the chinook, bull trout and other species listed under the Endangered Species Act in the Skagit Watershed, the utility is watching closely this kind of research to better understand the changes in climate the region will incur for decades to come.

“The future still has a lot of uncertainty to it,” said Strauch. “While it is not completely set, there are some aspects of the future that is clear. It’s our job as a utility to do what we can to ensure that future generations are prepared for the impacts. Our decisions help prepare for what the future will look like.”

Click here to read the abstract of the research article.

Innovative Pilot Project Seeks to Grow a Forest More Resilient to Climate Change

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An innovative pilot project will replant portions of logged land now owned by Seattle City Light to grow a new forest that could be more resilient to climate change.

Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and its partners – City Light, Seattle Public Utilities and the Northwest Natural Resource Group — received a $140,000 grant to reforest portions of the Stossel Creek area in the Tolt watershed northeast of Carnation. The grant money is being provided by the Wildlife Conservation Society through its Climate Adaptation Fund, a program supported and established by a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

“Stossel Creek presents a unique opportunity to test innovative, new habitat restoration methods designed to increase resiliency to climate change for Western Washington forests,” said Jon Hoekstra, executive director of the Greenway Trust.

A volunteer from Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust clearing invasive brush.

Trees on the 154-acre site were harvested by a private land company in 2012. Since then, the site has experienced new plant growth, but with few trees. Invasive species have taken hold in some areas. City Light purchased the land in 2015 as part of its Endangered Species Act Early Action Plan to conserve and enhance habitat for steelhead.

Crews and volunteers will reforest the site with native conifer species, such as Douglas Fir and Western redcedar. Instead of using only subvarieties that are native to Washington, this project also will include trees sourced from southwestern Oregon that are better adapted to warmer temperatures and drier summers.

“The climate of the Stossel Creek area is projected to be similar to southwest Oregon’s by the end of the 21st century,” explains Crystal Raymond, a climate adaptation specialist who helped secure the grant while she worked for City Light. “Therefore, the trees adapted to southwestern Oregon are expected to be better suited to the Stossel Creek site as the climate warms. By increasing the tree genetic and species diversity, the site’s resiliency to climate change will increase over time.”

Work to control invasive plant species and site preparation at Stossel Creek will begin this spring and planting new trees will begin in the fall. After planting, the team will have several opportunities to monitor success and share lessons learned from the project.

This pilot project will inform future climate-adapted restoration practices for lands owned by City Light, Seattle Public Utilities and other owners in the region. The long-term goal of the reforestation effort is to establish a diverse forest that will be adapted to the climate of the mid to late 21st century.

Recently, KING 5 visited the site to cover the project. Click here to watch the story featuring City Light’s Denise Krownbell.

Statement Concerning Filing of Petition for Review Concerning EPA’s Mid-Term Evaluation of Vehicle Standards

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On Tuesday, Seattle City Light and other electric utilities filed a petition for review in the Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) determination that EPA’s existing greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and trucks are not appropriate and must be revised.

Electrification of the transportation sector is a key strategy to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change.

“City Light is making significant investments in electric vehicle infrastructure and charging facilities to help advance our customers’ adoption of clean vehicles and achieve emission reductions,” Interim General Manager and CEO Jim Baggs said. “We have already installed two fast charging stations and are working to install 18 more. We also are investing heavily in charging facilities for electric vehicles in the city’s fleet. These investments are part of our overall commitment to modernize the electric grid and continue delivering clean, reliable power to our customers.”

The determination we have challenged is an abrupt reversal of the conclusion EPA reached just 15 months earlier, when it found that the standards were appropriate based on a comprehensive technical assessment conducted in coordination with the Department of Transportation and California.

Late last month, EPA’s own Science Advisory Board voted to review the adequacy of the science cited by EPA in support of its reversal, after a board work group found that EPA had relied extensively on information that had not been adequately validated or peer reviewed.

City Light remains committed to moving forward in support of electric vehicles and opposes EPA’s reversal.  We will continue to support strong greenhouse gas emission standards that will accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles across the country and help mitigate climate change.

City Light’s Comments on EPA Regulatory Reform

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On February 24, 2017, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 1377, “Enforcing the Regulatory Agenda.” The Executive Order sets forth a “policy of the United States to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens placed on the American people.” As part of the Executive Order, each federal agency was directed to create a Regulatory Reform Task Force to take stock of existing regulations and to determine regulations that could be changed, replaced or repealed altogether.

On April 11, 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the direction of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, announced a solicitation of public comments on existing EPA regulations. Seattle City Light was happy to oblige. Among other things, City Light is concerned about the possible repeal, replacement or modification of EPA regulations and programs that relate to greenhouse gases and climate change.

The full text of Seattle City Light’s comments to the EPA follows below.

May 15, 2017

DOCKET ID NO. EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0190

EPA DOCKET CENTER
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
1200 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004

RE: SEATTLE CITY LIGHT COMMENTS ON EXISTING FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS

Seattle City Light (SCL) appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) efforts to reform existing EPA regulations that affect SCL. SCL is the municipally owned electric utility of the City of Seattle. We provide electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Seattle and several surrounding suburban cities and communities. Ninety percent of Seattle’s electricity is generated through hydroelectric operations, half of which is owned and operated by the utility. We are also the second largest preference customer of the Bonneville Power Administration. The focus of our comments is on EPA regulations and programs that relate to climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

SCL considers addressing climate change through regulating GHG emissions to be an urgent and vitally important issue. We have long been an industry leader in addressing GHG emissions. We made a commitment to and have achieved carbon neutrality in our power deliveries and operations every year since 2005. SCL has achieved these major changes while maintaining an affordable and reliable power system. This has been accomplished by divesting ownership in a coal plant and other fossil fuel projects, investing in new renewable power, and increasing our long-standing energy efficiency programs. For any remaining GHG emissions that we are responsible for and are unable to eliminate from operations and power deliveries, we mitigate for through the purchase of certified carbon offsets.

SCL operations and infrastructure are affected by climate change and will continue to be so in the future. Impacts of climate change on mountain snowpack and glaciers that supply much of the water for the Pacific Northwest’s hydroelectric projects poses a threat to Seattle and the region’s ability to continue to prosper in the coming years. Since the middle of the 20th century, snowpack in the mountains of Washington alone has declined by approximately 25%. Furthermore, snowmelt in our region is now occurring earlier than in past years, resulting in changes in both the timing and amount of hydropower generation available throughout the year. In a warming climate, extreme weather events like rain storms, floods, droughts, wildfires, and heat waves are also likely to become more frequent and intense further threatening our operations and the integrity of our infrastructure.

SCL has supported EPA’s work to address climate change and control GHG emissions by providing both written and oral comments on the Endangerment Findings, the Tailoring Rule and the Clean Power Plan. We continue to support the Clean Power Plan and believe that addressing climate change through the regulation of GHG emissions is critically important. Utilities across the nation have provided input to the EPA to develop the Clean Power Plan into a sound, actionable, and cost-effective rule that will effectively regulate GHG emissions. SCL believes the Clean Power Plan is a needed and implementable step that will help reduce emissions from the electric power sector.

One of the most potent GHGs, Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6), contributes to global warming at a rate of 23,000 times that of carbon dioxide. SF6 gas is widely used in the energy delivery equipment of the nation’s electric utilities. Safe and effective management of this potent GHG in energy delivery equipment is critical to avoid accidental releases of SF6 gas to the atmosphere. In this regard, EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Programs (OAP) has provided an important national leadership role through the establishment and implementation of the SF6 Partnership Program. SCL has benefited and continues to benefit from the partnership’s biennial meetings which provide open forum for information exchange between EPA regulatory staff, the SF6 equipment manufacturers, the SF6 gas suppliers, SF6 service vendors, and other U.S. electric utilities with more years of experience implementing and managing the SF6 inventory and reporting programs. We value and support the continuation of the SF6 Partnership Program as a means of improving our ability to manage this important GHG.

In closing, we urge the EPA to continue to protect human health and the environment and to consider carefully the consequences of dismantling or modifying any established regulations and programs before taking any action to do so.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide these comments. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Lynn Best by e-mail at Lynn.Best@seattle.gov or by phone at 206-386-4586.

Seattle City (spot)Light: Crystal Raymond

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It’s no secret that Climate Change Strategic Advisor Crystal Raymond has a great love of the outdoors. If her places of residence don’t give it away (she’s lived in Vermont and Utah along with Washington), you might guess it by her educational background, which includes a PhD and Master of Science in Ecosystem Ecology from the University of Washington and a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of California, Berkeley.

Her expertise has been recognized by the NW Energy Coalition with the 4 under Forty award—which honors clean energy leaders who model the passion and knowledge needed to achieve a clean and affordable energy future. With Earth Day celebrated across the globe this past weekend, we couldn’t think of a more fitting person to feature in this week’s (spot)Light.

Crystal ice climbing in Ouray, Colorado

“I did a lot of camping in my childhood. My dad was an old-school recreation type who liked to hunt and fish. I grew up in rural Vermont in a town with about 750 people. We always had people on our land hunting for deer and fishing. That helped to develop my love for the outdoors, the natural environment, and a deep appreciation for natural resources.”

“I live in Mount Baker. It has good access to parks and Lake Washington. I do A LOT of outdoor recreational activities. Back country skiing is my favorite, but I also enjoy mountaineering, ice climbing, rock climbing. I go all over the Cascades—North Cascades, Snoqualmie Pass, Eastern Washington. I have a nine-month baby who my husband and I are now just taking out hiking. We’ve already taken him back country skiing. I’m excited to share my love of the outdoors with him and introduce him to all these fun sports.”

“I always wanted to do environmental science of some sort. I thought about doing it more on the political advocacy side, but when I got to college, I was more interested in the science and was drawn to the analysis of it all. When I did advocacy work, I always wanted to know more about the science behind the policies, so I moved from politics and law to a more science-based approach.”

“My job is to make sure the utility is prepared for the impacts of climate change—to understand how our operations and infrastructure might be affected. That includes warmer temperatures, but also more frequent natural hazards like wildfires and landslides as well as changes in snow pack and stream flow for our dams. It’s understanding how all the different parts of the utility can be affected and helping to come up with ways that we can prepare for that.”

“One of the ways we’re doing this is by supporting climate research and developing an adaption plan. I am forming a steering committee to help implement the plan. I’m building a team to get more input and engagement and make sure that the adaption plan is doing its job of helping other people in the utility get prepared for climate change.”

“My PhD advisor at the University of Washington gave me a strong sense of the importance of science in guiding what we do in that it can be neutral and unbiased—that having good science as a basis for what we do is important for the decisions we make.”

Thank you, Crystal, for the important work you do for our environment and for making such an impact at City Light these past four years!

Seattle City Light Among Seven Recipients Presented with First Climate Adaption Leadership Award for Natural Resources

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Seattle City Light won the inaugural Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources in the state/local category, the US Department of the Interior announced today.

City Light is being recognized for demonstrating exemplary leadership in reducing climate-related threats and adapting the management of hydropower resources to help ensure that the recovery and protection of fish and wildlife can be achieved in the face of climate change. The Award is sponsored by a group of federal agencies: the Department of the Interior (DOI), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA). The Climate Leadership Award was established as part of the Obama Administration’s Priority Agenda for Enhancing the Climate Resilience of America’s Natural Resources.

City Light  was one of seven recipients of the new award, which recognizes the outstanding leadership by federal, local and state agencies; NGOs and individuals who develop innovative approaches to prevent changes that are affecting valuable wildlife and natural resources.

“Seattle City Light has been a national leader in working to build resiliency to the effects of climate change for more than a decade,” Mayor Ed Murray said. “City Light’s Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan is the most comprehensive effort by an electric utility to assess and prepare for the impacts of climate change. I applaud their work and encourage others to join in this important effort.”

City Light gets about 90 percent of its power from hydroelectric resources that depend on snowpack. Climate change that brings more rain and less snow could significantly impact City Light’s ability to generate power.

“Climate change is a threat to Seattle City Light’s ability to generate enough power year round to meet the needs of our customers and to manage our hydropower resources to protect fish and wildlife,” the utility’s environmental officer, Lynn Best, said. “That’s why we have been active in researching our potential vulnerabilities and developing adaptation strategies.”

The award was established as part of the Obama Administration’s Priority Agenda for Enhancing the Climate Resilience of America’s Natural Resources, which identifies key actions across the federal government to support resilience of America’s vital natural resources and the many people, businesses and communities that depend on them. The award is sponsored by the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plant Climate Adaptation Strategy’s Joint Implementation Working Group.

“Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing our natural resources and the communities that depend on them,” said Michael Bean, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks. “These recipients are using innovative tools right now to combat this global threat. Their leadership advances smart conservation and resource management approaches that will increase the resilience of our natural resources for our communities and economies.”

The recipients’ projects were selected from 47 nominations based on a criteria of effectiveness, innovative approach, high potential for replication, promotion of preparation and response, and collaboration. Each project represents activities from individuals and federal, tribal, state, local and non-governmental organizations from around the country.

The seven honorees are:

  • Environmental Affairs Division, Seattle City Light (state/local): Adapting the management of hydropower resources to help ensure that the recovery and protection of listed endangered species can be achieved in the face of climate change.
  • Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, U.S. Forest Service (federal agency): Incorporating climate vulnerability into over 60 forest management projects across the Midwest, Central Appalachians and the Northeast.
  • Dan Isaak, U.S. Forest Service (federal individual): Prioritizing climate-informed conservation of aquatic species and habitats in the Western U.S. by mapping cold-water refuges that can support species at risk.
  • Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (tribal): Addressing climate risks by conducting vulnerability assessments, developing adaptation plans, and implementing on-the-ground adaptation actions for natural and cultural resources in the Pacific Northwest.
  • John R. “Jack” Sullivan, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (state/local individual): Championing adaptation actions such as watershed-level models of cold-water stream fishery potential and helped to establish the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, the state’s leading climate adaptation organization.
  • National Wildlife Federation (NGO): Providing national leadership in advancing and promoting climate-smart conservation across the conservation community, particularly in the development of widely-used adaptation guidance for conservation practitioners.
  • Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent (NGO partnership): Catalyzing a landscape-scale, collaborative approach to the conservation of natural resources and adaptation actions across 18 million acres in Montana, Alberta and British Columbia.

“Given the magnitude, scope and variety of issues affecting our nation’s natural resources, working together and learning from one another is critical to creating workable solutions to ensure their sustainability,” said Dave Chanda, President of Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “This award spotlights outstanding efforts that are helping lead the way through innovative tools and actions towards climate-smart resource conservation and management. It will serve as a source of inspiration for additional efforts that advance climate-smart resource conservation and management.”

For more information about the 2016 Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards for Natural Resources, including the seven recipients, honorable mentions, and all 47 nominees, please visit the Climate Adaptation Leadership Award main page.

Seattle City Light is the 10th largest public electric utility in the United States. It has some of the lowest cost customer rates of any urban utility, providing reliable, renewable and environmentally responsible power to about 750,000 Seattle area residents. City Light has been greenhouse gas neutral since 2005, the first electric utility in the nation to achieve that distinction.

White House Consulted City Light on New Federal Carbon Pollution Standards

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Photo of Jim Baggs

Seattle City Light Interim General Manager and CEO Jim Baggs

Seattle City Light Interim General Manager and CEO Jim Baggs was one of the experts the White House sought out while finalizing the newly released federal rules to control carbon emissions at power plants.

Baggs spoke by phone with Dan Utech, deputy assistant for energy and climate change to the U.S. president, on July 21.  Utech wanted to hear Baggs’ thoughts as the Obama administration prepared to issue the final rules on power plant carbon pollution standards under the Clean Air Act.

Baggs stressed the importance of sticking with a strong target date for emission goals, and of including hydro generation in calculations about carbon emissions.

After the Clean Power Plan for Existing Power Plants was released Monday, Baggs issued a statement describing about the impact that climate change is having on a hydroelectric-based utilities.

“Utilities such as Seattle City Light that depend on hydropower face loss of snow pack and glaciers as well as increased frequency and severity of floods on our rivers. Overall, the industry will face increased risk of fire, sea level rise, severe storms and landslides that threaten power lines.” Baggs said. “For these reasons, we urged the Obama administration to ensure that the final rule delivers meaningful emission reductions from existing power plants and encourages investment in clean energy technologies.

City Light previously filed detailed comments on the draft plan. Former General Manager Jorge Carrasco also participated in several meetings with the Environmental Protection Agency, including a private meeting with administrator Gina McCarthy last November.

Seattle City Light statement on President’s Clean Power Plan

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Photo of Jim Baggs

Seattle City Light Interim General Manager and CEO Jim Baggs

Today, Seattle City Light Interim General Manager and CEO Jim Baggs issued the following statement in support of President Obama’s new Clean Power Plan after the U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA) released final regulations that will, for the first time, set federal carbon emission limits for existing power plants:

“Seattle City Light, a carbon neutral utility since 2005, has long advocated for action to address climate change and supports EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.

“We believe that the impact of climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the electric industry. Research we have undertaken and our recently developed Climate Adaptation Plan shows that climate change has significant effects on the reliability of our system.

“Utilities such as Seattle City Light that depend on hydropower face loss of snow pack and glaciers as well as increased frequency and severity of floods on our rivers. Overall, the industry will face increased risk of fire, sea level rise, severe storms and landslides that threaten power lines.  For these reasons, we urged the Obama Administration to ensure that the final rule delivers meaningful emission reductions from existing power plants and encourages investment in clean energy technologies.

“Seattle City Light will continue to invest in energy efficiency for our customers and in environmentally sound renewables.  While we are still reviewing the details of the plan, we are confident that the final rule provides the states the flexibility needed to design their program implementation to address state specific characteristics and impacts.  Seattle City Light looks forward to working with Washington State and other stakeholders as we develop a strong and effective state implementation plan.”

VP Biden Highlights Importance of Climate Change Work Group, Including Seattle City Light

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Vice President Joe Biden highlighted the importance of a new partnership among Seattle City Light and 16 other utilities that will work to improve the resilience of the country’s energy infrastructure in the face of extreme weather and climate change.

Biden announced the U.S. Department of Energy’s Partnership for Energy Sector Climate Resilience as part of the department’s first Quadrennial Energy Review, which provides a comprehensive look at the current state of the U.S. energy industry and highlights the Obama administration’s priorities, including climate change and grid security.

City Light Compliance Officer Jim Baggs will represent City Light at an official launch of the partnership April 30 in Washington, D.C., with Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.

“We’re eager to be a part of this team and help develop strategies for adapting to the challenges presented by climate change, including extreme weather and reduced mountain snowpack for hydroelectric operations,” Baggs said.

The purpose of the partnership is to:

  • Enhance Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment of Climate-Resilient Energy Technologies
  • Foster enabling policies to remove market barriers and encourage building climate resilience into energy systems
  • Provide technical information, assistance and decision-support tools
  • Convene and Partner with Federal Agencies, Private Sector and other stakeholders

Earth Hour Worldwide: The Lights-Off Event

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Earth Hour logo.

Seattle City Light invites you to join us and millions around the world in celebrating a commitment to the planet during Earth Hour on March 28 at 8:30 p.m. local time

Seattle City Light invites you to join us and millions of people across the world in celebrating a commitment to the planet during Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28 at 8:30 p.m.

For one hour between 8:30-9:30 pm, friends, families and work communities are invited to turn off all non-essential lights, focus on conservation commitments for the rest of the year, and engage in conversations regarding environmental stewardship and the health of our planet.Earth Hour was started by the World Wildlife Fund in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, and has since grown to engage more than 162 countries and territories worldwide.

Photo of South Service Center City Light sign

Seattle City Light will turn off the neon sign at its South Service Center in recognition of Earth Hour to build awarness for climate change and conserving resources.

Seattle City Light is participating by turning off our iconic neon sign at the South Service Center.

Tips to save energy:

  • Turn off the lights when you leave a room
  • Change out your incandexcent bulbs for energy efficient and cost-saving LEDs