In 2007, Green Power will provide 100% of the Drinking Water, Wastewater, and Storm and Surface Water Utilities electricity needs. Green Power will be used to power water pumps, wastewater lift stations, and other water-related facilities.
What is green power? Green Power is electricity supplied from renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal power. To learn more about Green Power visit the Puget Sound Energy (PSE) webpages on Green Power.
Why use green power? It helps improve our air quality and protects the environment. Green Power is a cleaner, non-polluting source of energy that stops the release of gases that contribute to global warming.
In 2005, the City Council set a goal to “put sustainability into action so that we do our part to make our community more livable.” The purchase of green power, and an associated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions related to electricity consumption, is another opportunity for the City to become more sustainable in its practices. A large number of citizens of Olympia already participate in PSE’s Green Power Program for their own electricity use, with Olympia boasting the largest number of green power purchasers in PSE’s service area.
How much electricity do the utilities use? The 3 utilities' consumption is approximately the demand used by 600 households. The City does use other electricity for municipal operations which is equivalent to approximately the demand of 489 households.
How is the power used? The utilities' electricity powers City facilities, street lights, water utility pumping, treatment facilities, sewer pump stations and a myriad of other uses. Over half of the City’s electricity consumption is related to City utilities, in large part due to the large electricity demands associated with pumping drinking water to city residents.
What is the breakdown of use? Below is the breakdown of electricity use by utility:
- Drinking Water Utility – 6,120,000 kwh/year
- Wastewater Utility – 360,000 kwh/year
- Storm and Surface Water Utility – 132,000 kwh/year
- Utility Totals – 6,612,000 kwh/year
Does It Cost More to Use Green Power? Yes. The cost of Green Power is typically 2 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity above the normal electricity rate. PSE offers a bulk purchaser discount rate of 1 cent per kilowatt-hour for purchases of 1,000,000 kilowatt-hours or more. This discount rate significantly affects the cost of Green Power (as shown in the table below).
|
Percentage of Green Power |
Amount of annual kwh |
Unit cost per kwh |
Annual cost to City |
|
10% |
661,200 |
$0.02 |
$13,224 |
|
15.12% |
1,000,000 |
$0.01 |
$10,000 |
|
61% |
4,033,320 |
$0.01 |
$40,333 |
|
100% |
6,612,000 |
$0.01 |
$66,120 |
As shown above, purchasing Green Power for 15.12% of the utilities’ electricity use would qualify Olympia for the bulk purchaser discount (and would be cheaper than purchasing 10%). Purchasing Green Power for 61% of the utilities’ electricity would result in 100% of the electricity being generated from non-greenhouse gas emitting sources of energy. At this level, the City would be the number one municipal purchaser of Green Power in the PSE service area.
Need More Public Works Program Information? Contact the Public Works office.
- Physical Address: 924 7th Ave. SE, Suite A
- Mailing Address: PO Box 1967, Olympia, WA 98507
- Download printer-friendly (PDF) directions to our office
- Hours: M - F from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except City-recognized holidays)
- Phone: (360) 753-8588
- TTY: (360) 753-8270
- Email: Public Works