In today's PI, Lisa Stiffler provides a good overview of Washington energy policy nine months after voters adopted Initiative 937. (AWB opposed the initiative.) The goal posts have shifted somewhat as energy and climate change policies evolve nationally.
Critics worry about the cost of implementing the initiative while others complain that its goals are too timid, weaker than measures adopted in other states.
The new national eco-energy mantra is "25 by 25," meaning 25 percent of power from renewable sources by 2025. Oregon recently adopted those goals. In fact, more than half of the 23 states with renewable requirements reach higher than Washington's 15 percent.
We have an unusual energy advantage, but unfortunately Washington gets no credit for it in the initiative.
Washington faces unique challenges. The state gets more than two-thirds of its power from hydroelectric dams -- a source that's not included in the acceptable renewables list in I-937.
That failure to consider hydro, along with cost implications, fueled AWB's concerns. Stiffler quotes Chris McCabe.
"We are convinced that we're going to see higher power bills," said Chris McCabe, a governmental affairs director for the Association of Washington Business, a non-profit group that lobbies for business interests.
Renewables "are going to cost more and they're going to raise rates," McCabe said.
Initially cost projections look, well, startlingly high.
It's true that renewable energy costs can be many times higher than power from traditional sources. For solar, utilities might have to shell out 10 to 20 times more money per kilowatt-hour compared with the cost of power from existing dams. The price of building wind turbines and coal plants is roughly comparable, though some estimates put wind higher.
But the market's shifting, she reports. Still, it's anybody's guess how it shakes out.
Supporters of green energy expect prices to improve with the adoption of state and national renewable energy requirements, creating a more predictable marketplace for investors and new companies -- though they admit the increased demand also could bump prices up, at least initially.
It's a comprehensive and balanced piece - read it all - with more apparently coming tomorrow and Friday. Few issues have as much long-term significance for Washington businesses and consumers
