This November, we have the opportunity to take hold of our energy future. As our state grows, we can choose to burn more polluting fossil fuels like coal. Or we can vote yes on Initiative 937 and choose cleaner, cheaper energy produced from new renewable sources and conservation.
I-937, the Clean Energy Initiative, requires the state’s largest electric utilities to get 15 percent of their electricity from cheaper, cleaner sources of renewable energy such as wind and solar by 2020. It also includes conservation programs to help consumers save money by using less electricity.
I-937 will save us money. Fossil fuels keep getting more and more expensive, but I-937 will shift us to using cheaper renewable energy alternatives. Coal prices in the West leapt 150 percent between 2003 and 2006, while natural gas prices have tripled since 2002. The price of renewables, on the other hand, has declined dramatically. Wind energy, for example, has declined in price 45 percent since 1990.
None of this would surprise Puget Sound Energy, the state’s largest utility. PSE has projected savings of $170 million from just two Washington wind farms.
I-937 requires utilities to invest in conservation, which will directly reduce household electricity bills. Programs by utilities will assist home owners with rebates, home energy audits and weatherization programs for low income households. For businesses, upgrades and retrofits of lighting, heating and air-conditioning systems can slash energy use, reducing costs.
I-937 is a proven approach to increase the use of clean, renewable energy. To date, 20 states and the District of Columbia – representing more than 40 percent of U.S. electricity load – have implemented policies similar to I-937. A number of states are already seeing their targets exceeded. In Texas, utilities are already set to exceed the target laid out in a bill signed by then-Gov. George W. Bush. In Colorado, which passed a similar initiative in 2004, the state’s largest utility is on track to meet its target eight years ahead of time – and consumers there are already saving money.
Of course, I-937 doesn’t just mean cheaper energy – it also means cleaner air. That’s why the American Lung Association is supporting I-937. In addition to causing global warming, burning fossil fuels create a major source of air pollutants that affect lung health.
I-937 also means economic development and jobs. The energy efficiency and renewable energy industries already employ more than 4,000 people in Washington state. I-937 will create thousands more family wage jobs like these.
I-937 is a common sense approach to meeting our demand for energy. It’s been endorsed by organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Washington Public Utility Districts Association, Sierra Club and the League of Women Voters.
By voting yes on I-937, Washington’s voters can save energy and money with cleaner, cheaper energy.
Randy Hardy is a former administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration. For more information: www.yeson937.org.
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