Author Archives: Thad Curtz

T3.11 EV education * Partner with environmental and other agencies to increase consumer awareness about EV options and incentives for use and purchase. Ongoing survey research at UC Davis’s Institute of Transportation Studies concludes that even in California, most people … Continue reading →

T3._ Permit chargers in the right of way Allow business and residents without off-street parking to install chargers in the city right-of-way. A recent Carnegie Mellon study estimates that while approximately 79% of US households have off-street parking for at … Continue reading →

T3._”Right to Charge” law Require building owners to allow tenants to install EV charging stations if they want to. HB1793, which was passed in the 2022 session, creates rules for owners’ installations of charging stations in common interest communities such … Continue reading →

B4._ Building commissioning Building commissioning is a quality assurance process that spans the entire design and construction process, helping ensure that the new building’s performance meets design expectations. PNNL’s “A Guide to Building Commissioning” gives an overview of the process. … Continue reading →

B4.2 Building energy goals Establish energy goals/benchmarks (e.g. LEED) for new buildings, and adopt permitting practices and building code and/or design guidelines that support clean and efficient energy practices and technologies (e.g., passive design, rooftop solar panels and water heaters, … Continue reading →

B2.1 Commercial energy benchmarking and disclosure * Require energy performance ratings for commercial structures so that owners, tenants and prospective buyers are informed before making purchasing or rental decisions. BuildingRating.org is “an international exchange for information on building rating policies … Continue reading →

B3.3 Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Develop and adopt commercial PACE program. Assess whether residential PACE is still desirable and, if so, how local and state policymakers could pursue a legislative solution or state constitutional amendment to develop a PACE … Continue reading →

Some data about density and our climate goals 1. What’s our current density? Olympia – 18.22 sq. mi., 52,555 people = 2,884/sq. mi. Tumwater – 17.5 sq. mi., 23,688 people = 1,353/sq. mi. Lacey – 17.2 sq. mi., 50,718 people … Continue reading →

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service evaluated 160 conservation standards, and identified 35 as positively reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sequestration. They provide an on-line tool, COMET Planner, that estimates the potential reductions at the county level for … Continue reading →

B5.9 On-bill financing Provide additional utility incentives (such as on-bill financing) to support energy efficiency and renewable energy investments (such as rooftop solar or insulation) in buildings. On-bill financing allows a utility to facilitate a customer’s repayment of a loan … Continue reading →