Drafter
Clerk 05/21/2003
title
A MOTION establishing policy direction for leveraging the energy potential of King County's asset base and waste streams to increase revenues, reduce operating costs and capture untapped energy resources from the county's waste streams in an environmentally conscious manner.
body
WHEREAS, over the past several years, King County has experienced unprecedented increases in energy costs from suppliers of electricity, natural gas and steam because of issues related to west coast energy supply and demand, market manipulation by wholesale suppliers, utility infrastructure, and energy deregulation, and
WHEREAS, King County desires to provide affordable, stable and predictable municipal services to its customers in an environmentally responsible manner, and
WHEREAS, it is prudent and desirable for King County to leverage its multiple municipal, agricultural and livestock waste streams to extract greater energy value where it is cost-effective and appropriate to improve air emissions and water quality and mitigate impacts to fish and wildlife, and
WHEREAS, King County recognizes the need for greater facility and operational energy efficiency and development of new energy resources, to the extent feasible, to provide a greater level of self-sufficiency and independence from energy market volatility and deficiencies, and
WHEREAS, King County recognizes that active management of energy supply and usage is necessary to provide predictable and affordable municipal services, and
WHEREAS, extreme volatility and unpredictability in 2000 and 2001 west coast wholesale energy markets drove county electricity purchases to $28.3 million (sixty-nine percent by the wastewater treatment division), and
WHEREAS, the wastewater treatment division experienced a $10 million budget shortfall in the 2002 wastewater treatment division's operating budget requiring that sewer rates be increased eighteen percent in 2002 for increased energy costs ...

Click here for full text