Bellingham residents’ and local government’s commitment to using renewable sources of energy continues to set a national example.
Bellingham remains among the top Green Power communities after being recognized this year as the first city in Washington and the most successful community in the country to be designated a Green Power Community.
Bellingham qualified for this designation by purchasing more than 11 percent of all of the electricity used in the entire city from renewable resources. Mayor Tim Douglas accepted congratulations from the U.S. EPA, Congressman Rick Larsen, Puget Sound Energy and others at an Earth Day celebration.
Special congratulations to the Columbia, Central Business District and Fairhaven neighborhoods, the neighborhoods with the highest percentage of green power participants in last spring’s Green Power Challenge.
During the Green Power Challenge, local participation increased to nearly 2,000 households and more than 110 businesses. The City of Bellingham and Whatcom County governments joined Western Washington University as major supporters of renewable energy, committing to buy 100% their electricity from Green Power.
The EPA estimates that Bellingham’s use of green power has the same effect as taking 10,000 passenger cars off of the road.
“We’re proving that locally-engineered solutions to global warming are effective, achievable and good for business. Our Green Power Community Challenge is a success because the business community, city residents and local government have teamed up in an unprecedented partnership,” Bellingham Mayor Tim Douglas said.
Posted: October 26, 2007
