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A MOTION concerning the county's efforts to combat global warming and seeking ways for King County to accommodate the use of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles.
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WHEREAS, the council in Motion 12362 acknowledged that global warming pollution by humans is one of the world's most serious problems, with potentially grave risk to the Pacific Northwest's drinking water, fish and wildlife habitat and quality of life, and
WHEREAS, in adopting Motion 12362, the council demonstrated its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate their impacts and prepare for climate change, and
WHEREAS, transportation-related pollution is a primary source of greenhouse gas emissions, and
WHEREAS, the county has acted to reduce vehicle emissions, including the use of biodiesel fuel in metro transit buses and other county-owned vehicles, purchase of hybrid and other alternative fuel vehicles for county fleets and support for public transportation and non-motorized transportation options, and
WHEREAS, King County and many of its cities are participating in the Puget Sound Regional Green Fleet Initiative to develop a uniform green fleet standard for clean vehicles and promoting best practices in fleet design and operation, and King County cosponsored a national Clean Vehicles Now conference in September 2007; and
WHEREAS, hybrid technology offers significant promise as a means of reducing vehicle emissions, including carbon dioxide, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle ("PHEV") technology makes further reductions possible especially when these batteries are combined with carbon free and renewable energy sources such as wind or solar energy and PHEVs are supplemented by alternative fuels, and
WHEREAS, when enough PHEVs are in use and combined with technology to control access to the grid, PHEV batteries could help the grid store idle power and return when high use occurs, and
WHEREAS, battery electric vehicle ("BEV") technology may have the potential to provide even greater emission reductions than PHEVs;
WHEREAS, regional demonstration projects have been identified as an important step in advancing the use of PHEV and BEV technology, and
WHEREAS, the Pacific Northwest has been identified as an appropriate place for a PHEV and BEV demonstration program that involves local government fleet purchases or conversions to PHEVs and BEVs and integrates them with the power grid using vehicle-side solutions or smart grid communications technology to control when charging takes place, such as the off peak power periods;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The executive is directed to transmit to the council, no later than September 15, 2008, a plan to encourage PHEV and BEV use for approval by motion. The plan and proposed motion should be filed in the form of 11 copies with the clerk of the council, who will retain the original and forward copies to each councilmember and to the lead staff of the transportation committee. This plan should address the following issues:
A. King County should encourage members of the public to use PHEVs and BEVs. In particular, for commuters who drive personal vehicles to metro transit owned or operated park and ride facilities, the county should identify a plan to create incentives for these commuters to use PHEVs and BEVs. The plan should specifically address ways for PHEVs and BEVs to recharge their batteries when parked at transit facilities;
B. King County should work with the state and local governments to incorporate PHEV and BEV incentives into the commute trip reduction and transportation demand management programs;
C. King County should take a leadership role in promoting a regional demonstration project to encourage PHEV and BEV use and work with utility providers to determine measures for achieving the optimal and most efficient use of the power system and to help assure and accelerate the optimal integration and acceptance of these new technologies; and
D. King County should create a stakeholder advisory group to:
1. Study the impacts of PHEVs and BEVs on the energy grid and look for ways to partner with energy suppliers to perform these studies;
2. Advise King County on its participation in the regional demonstration
project; and
3. Recommend incentives to encourage commuter use of PHEVs and BEVs.