Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Washington city plans to run on 100% wind power

By Michelle Froese | April 21, 2017

Washington wind farm

Under its new Green Direct program, utility PSE is teaming up with cities, governments, and major commercial customers in Washington state to provide them with renewable energy.

The City of Mercer Island, Washington, announced that it will buy 20 years of clean wind power to replace its current mix of electricity. Today, 60% of the power supplied regionally by Puget Sound Energy (PSE) derives from coal and natural gas.

The City’s contract for 2019-2039 will replace those fossil fuels under PSE’s new Green Direct program, covering its annual municipal usage of three million kilowatt-hours.

“Moving 100% of Mercer Island facilities away from fossil fuel-based electricity to clean, renewable wind, is just the kind of program we had in mind,” said Mercer Island Mayor Bruce Bassett. “We appreciate PSE’s significant efforts to implement this new direct-purchase option in Washington, and we look forward to directly funding a new wind farm.”

Over the long-term, the City believes it will save money via the contract, according to Ross Freeman, City Sustainability Manager: “A 2% yearly inflation rate is built in, but based on historic data, future power rates are forecast to increase by approximately 2 to 4% per year.”

The City joins King County, Western Washington University, Anacortes, Bellevue, Snoqualmie, and Sound Transit, as well as major commercial consumers such as REI, Starbucks, and Target in launching the innovative program in Washington state.

This initiative is just one example of the City’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, renewable energy, and carbon-footprint reduction. Through various City programs, Mercer Island has installed substantial amounts of residential and commercial solar generation, and is now approaching 1,000 kilowatts of local production capacity.

In partnership with the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (representing 1.5 million people), the City of Mercer Island also undertakes many other joint carbon footprint reduction measures, such as: cleaner fleet vehicles, EV charging infrastructure, and energy-efficient commercial construction rules.

“Ever since our record-breaking residential Green Power sign-up campaign in 2012, we’ve been looking for other ways to reduce our community’s carbon footprint,” said Mayor Bassett.


Filed Under: News, Policy, Projects
Tagged With: pudgetsoundenergy
 

About The Author

Michelle Froese

Related Articles Read More >

US government allows Empire Wind offshore project to resume construction
Richardson Electronics to deliver pitch energy modules to TransAlta wind fleets
Equinor halts work on Empire Wind offshore project after federal government order
ARESCA wants input on offshore wind standards

Podcasts

Wind Spotlight: Looking back at a year of Thrive with ZF Wind Power
See More >

Windpower Engineering & Development Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Browse the most current issue of Windpower Engineering & Development and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading wind power engineering magazine today.

Windpower Engineering & Development
  • Wind Articles
  • Solar Power World
  • Subscribe to Windpower Engineering
  • About Us/Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising

Search Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe