Sustainable Washington

3.3 Project Example #2

Action: Purchasing Green Power
Where:
Bellingham, WA
More Info: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/communities/communities/bellinghamwacommunity.htm and http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/index.htm

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Bellingham’s Environmental Learning Center

In 2007 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named the City of Bellingham its Green Power Partner of the Year, providing national recognition of Bellingham’s effort to promote renewable energy. Through collaborative efforts with the non-profit Sustainable Connections, as well as Puget Sound Energy (PSE), the Bellingham community doubled it green power purchases and quadrupled its goal of raising 9,000 MWH of green power. In addition, the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County governments began purchasing 100 percent green energy from PSE.

Building upon the city’s visionary efforts, Puget Sound Energy funded the installation of a 2040-watt solar energy system on Bellingham’s Environmental Learning Center at Maritime Heritage Park; the center will continue to raise awareness of renewable energy. EPA’s Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that supports the organizational purchasing of green power by offering technical support and resources. EPA also works with local governments and businesses to lower the transaction costs of buying green power, reduce its carbon footprint, and communicate its leadership to key stakeholders.

3.3 Energy | Table of Contents