Summary

Community partners are being invited to invest in construction of solar panels at King County “solar hot spots,” for production of electricity to help power County facilities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, under a clean-energy program launched today by King County.

Story

Community partners are being invited to invest in construction of solar panels at King County "solar hot spots," for production of electricity to help power County facilities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, under a clean-energy program launched today by King County.

"We've set an ambitious, but achievable, goal of meeting half of the energy needs of County government from renewable sources," said King County Executive Constantine. "Through creative partnerships with the private sector we can jump-start our investment in solar energy, and save the public money by using clean, renewable energy that we can generate ourselves."

Under the County's new Community Solar Program, a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued today offers prospective partners the opportunity to lease the use of County sites at low cost, install solar projects, and receive financial incentives from a Washington state solar energy program. The list of potential sites ranges from closed landfills, court buildings, wastewater treatment plants, and park-and-ride lots. The County is already in discussions about a potential project on Vashon Island.

"There's no better time than Earth Week to promote clean solar power in the county, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate the growth of the state's solar power industry," said King County Councilmember Larry Phillips, chair of the Council's Transportation, Economy, and Environment Committee. "Fostering partnerships between King County and its residents taps into solar energy's great but currently underutilized potential as a renewable resource in King County."

The Council last year passed a motion introduced by Councilmember Philips calling for development of the Community Solar Program, to build on the 2010 King County Energy Plan, which provides the County's roadmap to achieve energy efficiency and advance the use and production of renewable and greenhouse gas-neutral energy.

For its part the County will receive renewable energy credits, and use of the electricity generated on-site, leading to a cleaner regional energy portfolio and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

"We want to get the word out and gauge interest as soon as possible," said Executive Constantine, who noted the state incentive program sunsets in 2020. "With eight years of financial incentives remaining, the sooner we get started the better the program pencils out for our partners and the County."

To receive the RFP document for the Community Solar Program, please contact Roy Dodman in the County's Procurement and Contract Services Section at 206-263-9293, or Roy.Dodman@kingcounty.gov.

Read the Request for Proposals for the King County Community Solar Program at:

https://procurement.kingcounty.gov/procurement_OVR/detail.aspx?bidid=1969

(enter the Procurement site as a "guest")

Learn more about the Executive's 2010 King County Energy Plan at:

www.kingcounty.gov/environment/climate/king-county/2010-energy-plan