 Seattle City Light
News Release |
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| Subject:
City Light First in Nation to Reach Zero Net Emissions Goal |
For Immediate Release:
11/9/2005 10:15:00 AM |
For More Information Contact:
Scott Thomsen (206) 386-4233
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City Light First in Nation to Reach Zero Net Emissions Goal
Milestone part of mayor’s effort to make Seattle
a leader in fight
against warming
SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels announced today that City Light has become the
first large electric utility in the country to effectively eliminate its contribution
of harmful greenhouse gas emissions into the environment.
The utility’s goal of “zero net emissions” is a key element
of the mayor’s effort to make Seattle a leader in combating global warming
and meeting the goals of the Kyoto Protocol.
“Seattle has a long history of being a leader when it comes to protecting
the environment,” Nickels said. “This is just the kind of bold
and meaningful action that proves we can make a big difference in our region
and around the world.”
City Light reached its unprecedented target by working with other organizations,
such as King County Metro and Washington State Ferries, to reduce emissions
and thereby offset greenhouses gasses associated with the utility.
“We are setting new environmental standards for our industry,” said
City Light Superintendent Jorge Carrasco. “This is a proud day for the
utility and the people who own it - the citizens of Seattle.”
The final step came today when City Light signed a contract to purchase greenhouse-gas
emissions offsets from Du Pont Fluorochemicals of Wilmington, Del. Natsource,
a company that helps parties structure transactions for environmental commodities,
arranged the transaction between City Light and Du Pont Fluorochemicals. Under
the contract with Du Pont Fluorochemicals, City Light will purchase 300,000
metric tons of greenhouse-gas emissions offsets. Combined with other offset
contracts, it brings City Light to its net-zero emissions goal.
“DuPont applauds Seattle City Lights’ leadership and commitment
to address global climate change,” said Jennifer Hooper, DuPont Climate
Change and Emissions Trading Leader. “We are pleased to support their
efforts to become climate neutral through the sale of greenhouse gas offsets.
DuPont supports the use of market-based mechanisms such as emissions trading
to facilitate emissions reductions at the lowest cost to society."
Since 2000, City Light has been working to meet all new electrical demand
with cost-effective conservation and renewable resources. At that time, the
Seattle City Council also set the long-term goal of net-zero greenhouse-gas
emissions. City Light emissions come from power purchases and operations, including
the use of vehicles and heating of facilities.
In 2003, City Light signed its first greenhouse gas offset contract with Climate
Trust, which reduced emissions in cement manufacture by promoting the use of
substitute materials such as fly ash during production. In 2004, City Light
launched a biodiesel program that paid for the use of the cleaner-burning fuel
in several local vehicle fleets - buses, garbage hauling equipment, and City
vehicles.
City Light also purchases offsets from Princess Cruise ships that have switched
from using diesel engines to using electricity while docked at Seattle’s
waterfront.
City Light estimates it will emit about 200,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent in 2005. The contract with Du Pont Fluorochemicals brings City Light’s
offsets to about 350,000 metric tons. The extra will cover the utility if actual
2005 emissions are higher and can be used toward offsetting 2006 emissions.
City Light’s greenhouse-gas mitigation ties into Mayor Nickels’s
environmental vision for Seattle. So far, 182 mayors from around the country
have signed on to Nickels’ climate protection challenge to meet or beat
the Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in their own
communities.
“As a city government, we’ve already cut our greenhouse gas emissions
by more than 60% compared to 1990 levels,” Nickels said. “But it’s
not enough - we need to work together as a community to set responsible limits
on global warming pollution.”
Seattle City Light's hydroelectric projects on the Skagit and Pend Oreille
Rivers provide about half of the power its customers need. The remainder comes
from a mix of power sources, including long-term contracts with the Bonneville
Power Administration, the Klamath Falls cogeneration project, the Stateline
Wind Project and others.
View a timeline of
the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program - Adobe PDF 12 kb
Read a fact sheet about the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program - Adobe PDF 13 kb
Visit the mayor’s web site at www.seattle.gov/mayor. Get the mayor’s
inside view on initiatives to promote transportation, public safety, economic
opportunity and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter
at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm
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Office of the Mayor
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