Edwin Wanji, Sphere Solar Energy
Clean energy partnerships rising in Eastern Washington
Inspiring new clean energy projects are on the rise in Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Moses Lake. But a big challenge remains: accessing the clean electricity needed.
Clean buildings

Heating and powering our homes and businesses generates a lot of our climate-changing pollution; our built environment is a major contributor to global warming. If our homes and buildings were carbon-free and energy efficient, we would significantly reduce our climate pollution, drastically cut energy costs for owners and renters, and improve air quality where we live and work. 

For example, in both Oregon and Washington State, climate-worsening pollution from buildings are growing at a faster rate than any other source, with this increase largely attributable to the use of fossil gas in homes and buildings. Burning fossil gas in homes and buildings is not only a significant contributor to climate change, but also poses significant health risks for our communities, children, and other vulnerable populations.

Indoor air quality issues are particularly concentrated for low-income residents in smaller units with poor ventilation. Communities of color are already disproportionately impacted by outdoor air pollution, and should not continue to be disproportionately harmed by poor indoor air quality as well. Gas appliances also worsen our outdoor air quality.  For example, California’s residential appliances releasing more than two times as many NOx emissions as all of their gas power plants combined, and commercial gas appliances releasing just as much NOx pollution as all of California’s cars.

States and many cities in the region and around the country are increasingly looking at ensuring all new buildings are electric as a key cost-effective pathway for achieving their local or state greenhouse emissions goals. Electrifying buildings is critical to addressing climate change, but it is also achievable, affordable, safe, and creates a more resilient energy system.

We are working with lawmakers and community partners to move rapidly toward electrifying our buildings for heating, cooling and cooking.  We can also construct homes and buildings that get all their energy from sustainable sources, and even produce as much energy as they use — net zero energy buildings. 

 

Redmond, WA gets its clean energy house in order

Redmond, WA is walking its clean energy talk, allocating $820,000 to reduce the city's energy consumption and carbon footprint.

King County makes buildings energy-smart

Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, WA is effectively a city of 500 acres and more than 125 buildings, with a daytime population of 58,000.

Washington State Capitol Building

Time for Local Climate Action in WA State

The 2015 Washington State Legislature gets underway in Olympia, and local officials across Washington are ready.

Getting Serious about Reducing Carbon Emissions

Elected officials from King County and 12 cities commit to an ambitious carbon reduction agenda for 2015.

How a strip club becomes a climate justice solution

Working together, local groups in Portland's Cully neighborhood are redefining sustainability and development as an anti-poverty strategy.  

Night time at the Shoreline city limits

Art and Science: Carbon-Cutting in Shoreline, WA

On-the-ground urban carbon reduction strategies are essential with or without carbon pricing, as they are the bricks-and-mortar pathways to a low-carbon future.

ClimateCast Logo over graph of solar and wind power production

Utility bonds downgraded on promise of rooftop solar with storage

Renewables gain market share as prices drop, Royal Dutch Shell rebuffs 'stranded asset' worries, California cap-and-trade laid bare, and much more

Plane and ClimateCast Logo

Solar prices plummet, utility model in jeopardy

In this week’s ClimateCast: British Airways inks contract to buy fuel made from garbage; Keystone pipeline decision delayed until after November elections; solar prices plummeting to parity with market prices; and more.

Capturing carbon, saving money, enhancing regional communities

On August 1, the City of Portland graciously hosted the Northwest Biocarbon Initiative (NBI) along with our partners at Ecotrust and the 

Clean buildings are part of the climate solution

Submitted by Leah Missik on

Mitigating climate change requires holistic action across all sectors of our society. The good news is that actions that reduce our carbon emissions often have positive benefits on other aspects of our communities and economy. This is why we’re excited to support the Clean Buildings Package of legislation in Washington State.

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CleanTech Showcase 2016

CleanTech Showcase is the Pacific Northwest’s premier cleantech business event. This one-day event gathers the industry’s best and brightest to learn about the latest clean technology innovations, research and investment opportunities.

Engage the industry’s best and brightest while seeing the latest cleantech innovations from across the region.

  • Network with 350+ industry leaders, investors, media and policymakers.

  • Hear and learn from renowned speakers across research, investing and industry.