In the summer of 2005, the City of Bellingham began working with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability to perform a greenhouse gas emissions inventory for both the City government and the community of Bellingham.  This inventory was the first piece of a 5-step process designed by ICLEI for the implementation of Climate Change Action planning.  The steps are as follows:

Over the next year, the City Environmental Resources Division’s Alex Ramel worked to compile information about fuel usage, electricity and natural gas consumption, and the waste generated in both the community and through municipal operations.  These numbers, collected for 2000 and 2005, became the “baseline” against which reduction goals could be measured as part of an ongoing Action Plan to reduce emissions.

One of the most striking findings of the inventory was that Bellingham’s municipal emissions predominantly came from electricity usage; 64% of the 20,000 tons eCO2 emitted in 2005 was a result of power consumption.  This piece of data came to light at approximately the same time as the City of Bellingham began working with Puget Sound Energy and local nonprofit Sustainable Connections to promote the purchase of Green Power on a community scale.  This effort took the form of the Green Power Community Challenge.

When Bellingham’s then-Mayor Mark Asmundson realized that a successful Green Power Challenge would also bring in additional utility tax income for the City, he saw potential for a tremendous opportunity.  He went before the City Council and asked that Bellingham begin purchasing 100% Green Power for its operations, with much of the additional cost being offset by the additional income from the Green Power Community Challenge.  On July 24, 2006, Bellingham City Council resolved to purchase 100% Green Power for City operations at a cost of approximately $250,000 per year,.  When this purchase went into effect on January 1, 2007, the City’s greenhouse gas emissions were thus immediately reduced by 64%.

Over the next six months, dozens of local businesses and hundreds of residents signed up to buy green power too, spurred on by an innovative grass roots campaign to promote participation.  In April of 2007 the U.S. EPA recognized Bellingham as the most successful Green Power Community in the EPA’s Green Power Partnership.

While the green power challenge was a major first step, it is only one piece of the Climate Action Plan that has since been developed and approved by the Bellingham City Council.  For example, the City is currently in the process of hiring a full-time Resource Conservation Manager, a position that will work with Puget Sound Energy to continuously improve the energy efficiency of City operations.  In addition, Bellingham has and will continue to purchase hybrid vehicles whenever feasible, and the fleet currently contains 9 hybrid Toyota Priuses. The City is also exploring ways to generate clean electricity from untapped, renewable energy sources at the wastewater treatment plant. 

In addition, plans are underway to follow on the success of the Green Power Community Challenge with additional community education campaigns.  These campaigns will strive to reach the community with clear, simple, targeted messages about the most effective ways for individuals to make a difference and help prevent global warming.

To read Bellingham's Climate Action Plan, click here. For more information about the Climate Protection work that is being done by the City of Bellingham, please contact Clare Fogelsong, Environmental Resources Manager, at (360)676-6961.