Aug. 27--The city of Lacey is one of a handful of U.S. cities recognized by the federal government for its commitment to using "green power."

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency named Lacey to its Green Power Leadership Club as the 11th city to use green power for its electrical energy needs. "EPA commends the city of Lacey for making a long-term commitment to protecting the environment by purchasing green power," Marcus Peacock, the agency's deputy administrator, according to a news release. Lacey is the first city in Thurston County to use green power for all its operations that require electricity. That means using renewable energy sources such as wind and solar for needs that include lighting City Hall, Lacey Timberland Regional Library, all its water and wastewater facilities and more than 3,000 street and traffic lights.

City officials say their use of green power will remove 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, which scientists say contributes to global warming. The additional annual cost for Lacey to go completely green: an estimated $61,000. Several other public agencies in the county use green power. The Evergreen State College and LOTT Alliance, the area's wastewater treatment provider, use green power for all their operations. Lacey's designation comes several months after Puget Sound Energy made green power more affordable for residential and business customers by lowering rates about 40 percent.

The city already was evaluating increasing its initial commitment to green powe when new rates took effect April 1. Mayor Virgil Clarkson said the EPA's designation reflects the leadership the city has shown in being a good steward of the environment and working toward becoming energy independent. "It costs of little bit more, but it saves the environment," he said. So far, the rate reduction has prompted nearly 2,000 residential customers to go 100 percent green within PSE's 11-county service area, said Heather Mulligan, the utility's green power market manager. "I think it shows that for a lot of customers they feel good to be able to say that they're 100 green," she said.

Under the new rates, customers who live in an energy-efficient home and use an average of 800 kilowatt-hours per month of electricity could go 100 percent green for $10 more a month, the utility said. The purchase of green power does not mean electricity produced by wind or solar is headed directly to the participating home or business, but rather the revenue is spurring development of those renewable energy resources within the Northwest. Within Thurston County, Olympia has the largest number of residential green power customers with more than 2,200. Lacey is second with 231. PSE provides electricity to 50,000 households and 6,000 businesses in Thurston County.

For some time, Olympia had the highest number of green power subscribers within PSE's service area but now has been surpassed by Bellingham. That city was the first to buy 100 percent green power from PSE, and its commitment likely prompted many of its itizens to follow suit, Mulligan said. "I think that the residents of Bellingham definitely took a hint from what the local government had chosen to do," Mulligan said. It remains to be seen if Lacey residents will follow the lead of its leaders. The city is taking other steps to help out the environment. It has created a reclaimed-water utility that will one day allow customers to irrigate using treated wastewater.

It also will install charging stations next to City Hall for residents who drive electric vehicles. Christian Hill covers the city of Lacey and military for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5427 or at chill@theolympian.com.