Title
Approval of a Resolution Responding to the Climate Emergency, Declaring Olympia's Intent to Electrify City-Owned Facilities and Olympia's Built Environment
Recommended Action
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve a Resolution declaring Olympia's intent to electrify city-owned facilities and Olympia's built environment.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve a Resolution to respond the climate emergency by declaring Olympia's intent to electrify city-owned facilities and Olympia's built environment.
Staff Contact:
Pamela Braff, PhD, Climate Program Manager, City Manager's Office, 360.753.8249
Presenter(s):
Pamela Braff, PhD, Climate Program Manager
Background and Analysis:
Background
In February 2021, Olympia City Council passed a Climate Emergency Resolution, declaring that the climate crisis poses an urgent threat to the health and well-being of our city, country, and planet and that mitigating climate change requires immediate action and long-term commitment.
In February 2021, Olympia also accepted the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan (TCMP) as the regional framework to substantially reduce local contributions to climate change. The plan identifies more than 70 actions to reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions 45% below 2015 levels by 2030 and 85% below 2015 levels by 2050.
While all actions in the plan are important to achieving regional climate mitigation targets, the TCMP identifies a few strategies with the greatest potential to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions through local action. These strategies include:
* Reducing natural gas use (i.e., electrifying buildings).
* Reducing the amount that people drive and increasing fuel efficiency for when they do.
* Storing carbon in soil and plants.
Building Electrification
Multiple studies, including Washington's Deep Decarbonization Pathways Analysis, have found that building electrification is the most cost-effective strategy to decarbonize residential and commercial buildings...
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