Jan 04 - Columbian

Stymied in the Legislature, proponents of renewable energy say they will ask voters to establish a minimum standard for wind, geothermal and other forms of green energy.

The ballot initiative would require utilities in Washington by the year 2020 to meet 15 percent of their annual electrical load with renewable sources or by purchasing renewable credits, a NW Energy Coalition spokesman said.

Proponents expect to announce the specifics of the initiative later this month when they begin gathering signatures. They hope to place the issue on the general election ballot in November.

If voters approved, Washington would become the 19th state to establish a minimum renewable electricity standard, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

"The time has come," said Rachel Shimshak, director of the Renewable Northwest Project, one of the initiative proponents. "We have tried hard to get this same kind of concept through the Legislature for the better part of this millennium and, even in the throes of the energy crisis in 2000 and 2001, we were unable to succeed."

With proponents preparing to gather 310,000 signatures, at least one local lawmaker said he's willing to consider a legislative solution.

"I do support the concept, but it's going to be really important how it's structured," said state Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver. "In principle, I wish that it wasn't necessary. It may be that we can work something out in the Legislature."

Initiative proponents aren't willing to wait, and they have formed Washingtonians for Energy Security to promote the initiative.

Marc Krasnowsky, communications director for NW Energy Coalition, which is involved with the early stage of the campaign, said the initiative will be patterned after bills that have fizzled in the Legislature in recent years. He outlined other elements being considered for the initiative, although he noted that it hasn't been finalized:

n It will apply to utilities with more than 25,000 customers. That would include Clark Public Utilities, which, with 172,000 electricity customers, is one of the half-dozen largest utilities in Washington.

n The initiative will encourage development of new conservation or renewable energy initiatives by setting a baseline date, probably April 1, 1999. Progress would be measured from that point, which roughly coincides with the first large-scale wind facilities coming on line in Washington state. It also precludes utilities from complying with the new law by counting existing hydropower resources. Hydroelectricity already accounts for about 52 percent of the Northwest's energy load.

"Hydropower is a phenomenal renewable resource, but this initiative is about new renewables," Krasnowsky said.

n Some type of cost cap will be included to limit impact on ratepayers. Krasnowsky said the sponsors are doing an economic analysis "to determine the appropriate level of the cost cap to provide appropriate levels of consumer protection."

n Eligible resources could be defined to include wind, geo- thermal, landfill and sewage gas, biomass, tidal and efficiency upgrades at hydroelectric dams and irrigation canals.

Consumer, citizen behavior

Officials with Clark Public Utilities are wary of the measure because they believe it will increase costs.

Customer surveys show general support for renewable energy but much less willingness to pay for it, General Manager Wayne Nelson said during a recent meeting of the utility's three elected commissioners. As of earlier this year, only 350 of the utility's 172,000 customers had agreed to pay a small premium to encourage the development of renewable forms of energy.

"People say they want to do it, then they don't sign up," Nelson said.

However, a political science professor at Washington State University said it would be a mistake to assume customers' reluctance to voluntarily pay a premium portends a lack of support for a ballot initiative. Paul Thiers, who teaches environmental policy and comparative politics at WSU Vancouver, said there is an important difference between the way people act as consumers and the way they behave as citizens.

"When you act as a consumer, it is in your own interest to buy things as cheaply as possible," Thiers said. "But when you vote as a citizen, you have an opportunity to bring others in with you to pay for something jointly."

Clark spokesman Mick Shutt said the relative scarcity of renewable forms of energy makes it generally more expensive than other new energy sources, such as natural gas.

"There's a price to be paid for it, and everybody needs to be aware of it," Shutt said.

Proponents contend the costs of renewable forms of energy will fall as more resources are developed. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported about 6 percent of the nation's total energy consumption in 2004 came from renewable sources, with hydroelectricity accounting for nearly half of the total.

Because of legislative inaction in Olympia, renewable energy proponents say their only viable alternative is to use the ballot box to nudge the market.

"We've amended the bills over and over again to deal with various concerns, but we still kept on hitting a brick wall," Krasnowsky said. "We're in a position where it's time to take it to the people."

Update

Previously: The Legislature failed to pass bills to support developing more renewable energy resources, which could be better for the environment but cost more than current sources of electricity.

What's new: Advocates are preparing an initiative campaign for this year. It would require large utilities to participate, and include a cost cap for consumers.

What's next: If enough signatures can be gathered, voters would decide in November.