Title
Approval of a Resolution Authorizing an Interlocal Agreement between the Cities of Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater and Thurston County for the Development of a Regional Building Electrification Cost Assessment
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve a Resolution authorizing an interlocal agreement between the cities of Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater and Thurston County for the development of a regional building electrification cost assessment.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve an interlocal agreement for the development of a regional building electrification cost assessment.
Staff Contact:
Pamela Braff, PhD, Climate Program Manager, City Manager's Office, 360.753.8249
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar Item
Background and Analysis:
Building Electrification Definition and Goals
Building electrification means using electricity, rather than fossil fuels such as natural gas, for space heating, water heating, and cooking in homes and buildings. As electricity is increasingly produced by non-emitting, renewable sources, such as wind and solar, replacing fossil fuel use in buildings with efficient, all-electric buildings will substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment.
In February 2021, Olympia accepted the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan (TCMP) as the regional framework to substantially reduce local contributions to climate change. The plan provides a framework to reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions 45% below 2015 levels by 2030 and 85% below 2015 levels by 2050.
The TCMP identifies building electrification (i.e., reducing natural gas use) as a key strategy to achieve the regional climate targets. To achieve the 2030 and 2050 regional greenhouse gas reduction targets identified in the TCMP, the region will need to reduce residential and commercial natural gas consumption 20 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050 (TRPC, 2020).
Multiple s...
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