Performance Measures
Energy Plan
Energy Plan Implementation
Progress toward Implementation of King County Energy Plan
About this performance measure: King County Executive Ron Sims issued an Executive Order in 2006 establishing renewable energy use goals for King County government operations and directed the development of a plan to meet these goals.
The renewable energy order requires that, compared to 2007 baseline levels:
- 50% of King County's facility and operations energy come from renewable sources by 2012 (except for the Metro Bus Fleet)
- 35% of energy for Metro buses come from efficiencies and renewables by 2015
- 50% of energy for Metro buses come from efficiencies and renewables by 2020
King County has mapped a comprehensive strategy for achieving the Executive Order goals through its Energy Plan, major elements of which include:
- Staffing an Energy Task Force representing all major energy-using departments and divisions in the county to implement the Plan.
- Broad adoption of utility accounting software to benchmark facilities and track progress towards energy goals; reporting results to Executive
- Energy policy definition and implementation to improve energy efficiency, conserve energy aggressively, and expand use of renewable energy sources as described in the sections below.
Renewable Energy And Energy Capture
Supply 50% of King County's non-transit (Metro Transit Bus) energy from renewable sources by 2012, and 35% of King County's transit energy from efficiencies and renewables by 2015. Maximize the conversion of waste-to-energy at county facilities.
About this performance measure: In Executive Order PUT 7-6 directed the county to ultimately supply half (50 percent) of its energy requirements from renewable sources. All the county divisions except DOT/Transit are required to meet this goal by 2012, while Transit is allowed 8 years more (until 2020) to reach the same goal, with option to meet this requirement by equivalently reducing supply requirements through efficiency increases in their operations. The county does not specify preferred sources for these renewable energy supplies.
At the same time, King County provides disposal services for many residents' waste products, both solid and liquid. Processing these waste streams uses significant energy, but can also extract energy from some of them if properly designed. Currently, the county produces 317,350 million British Thermal Units (MMBtu) per year of renewable energy from its own waste-to-energy operations. This represents almost 60% of renewable energy sources currently in use in the county. While setting very high goals for the portion of energy supply that comes from renewables, the county has expectations that it will be able to meet much or all of its renewables commitments using county-controlled renewable resources.
2007 Results:
- 15% Renewable energy supply to county operations (11% in Transit, 19% in all other operations)
- Substantial existing county renewable resources used -- Large biodiesel purchases (228,399 MMBtu) may not be sustainable in future because of costs
- Selection of best development alternatives for large waste-to-energy projects in Solid Waste and Wastewater
2009 Targets: Further increases in renewable energy supply (nominally to 17% in Transit, 31% in all other operations) Solid Waste division landfill gas project expected to come on line selling "renewable" gas
Influencing factors: A primary factor in achieving renewable target is the speed and degree that county renewable resources are developed (from Wastewater and Solid Waste divisions). Another factor is the future price of renewable energy technologies and developments and the price of "Renewable Energy Certificates," (RECs) on local energy markets.
Strategy going forward: With the development of a large landfill gas scrubbing operation at Cedar Hills landfill in 2009, the amount of "renewable" energy resource the county controls and can claim as available to meet its goals (either as greenhouse gas credits or some form of renewable energy certificate) should dramatically expand while the gas (which is typically classed as a "renewable resource") is extracted from the landfill. While challenged to meet its renewable energy goals in the short term (next 2-3 years), the county should have enough renewable energy from the landfill to exceed its goals set in the Executive Order for approximately 20 years after 2010. This assumes the Solid Waste division is able and willing to certify and share its Cedar Hills landfill gas greenhouse gas reduction credits or equivalent RECs with the entire county to meet the county's renewable energy goals. If this is not allowed or impractical meeting the renewables goals may be quite expensive. What the long term strategy for renewables may be beyond the 20 year life of the landfill is unclear at this time.
Energy Efficiency And Conservation
(E_2) Achieve a 10 percent normalized net reduction in County energy use by 2012.
About this performance measure: Efficiency and other types of energy savings strategies are widely recognized to be the appropriate first line of attack to reduce the impacts (cost and environmental) of energy uses, because saving energy is usually cheaper than supplying energy. The Energy Plan sets an easily measurable and attainable performance goal to reduce energy use 10 percent in county departments over the next 5 years against 2007 levels. The interim targets presented below assume constant progress to the 5-year goal; however, energy savings acquisitions are typically less regular, so year-to-year use reductions may be different.
2007 Results:
- 2007 established as baseline year
- County efficiency / conservation project history assembled
- Energy Task Force agreed on efficiency goals
- 2% energy use reduction in County operations from 2007
- Staff training and education on energy efficiency
- Energy auditing and efficiency / conservation projects
- 4% energy use reduction in County operations from 2007
- Continued auditing and implementation of energy saving projects
Influencing factors: Leadership and operational level commitments to energy saving, staff training on methods to save and track savings, and directives to incorporate these activities in their work; financial support for programs and projects that will result in savings; tracking, reporting and rewarding success in energy savings efforts.
Strategy going forward:
- Educate / train staff on energy saving strategies
- Conduct and/or update resource efficiency audits in all county facilities, and develop energy savings action plans for each facility audited
- Develop detailed energy management plans for energy intensive special-purpose facilities such as prisons
- Secure commitments to streamlined funding approaches and for specific projects.
- Pursue utility grant funding and other funding
Technical Notes
For definitions and more detail.
