Seattle is making strides towards a greener future with the recent approval of Seattle City Light’s Strategic Plan Update for 2025-2030 by the Seattle City Council. This roadmap outlines how the city will adapt to the burgeoning demand for electricity, take on climate change, meet clean energy milestones, enhance the reliability and resiliency of energy services, and prioritize equity in its energy future, according to Seattle City Light. The plan comes in response to various industry challenges and a landscape of opportunities that call for a significant strategic shift, particularly in light of new climate goals and resource investment needs.
To keep pace with an intensifying appetite for electricity, the plan acknowledges the necessity to procure fresh, clean energy sources. Over the next decade, Seattle City Light is looking to significantly acquire over 1800 MW of resources, a stark increase from an earlier estimate of 400 MW. "Demand for electricity is growing," confirms a recent report by Seattle City Light, highlighting a threefold increase in building electrification and a 70% surge in transportation electrification primarily due to fleet electrification.
Adjustments are also being made to address environmental challenges, with hydropower generation suffering in recent years due to drought conditions, diminished snowpack, and premature runoff. This reality, combined with a volatile market subject to the whims of extreme weather events, stresses the need for improved coordination among utilities to ensure the region’s energy supply remains uninterrupted and cost-effective.
Seattle City Light has been carbon-neutral since 2005, setting the stage to support Washington state's push for a 100% clean electricity supply by 2045 as mandated by the Clean Energy Transformation Act. In this vein, the plan commits to updating the city's grid infrastructure and replacing aging assets. This will, as the strategic update suggests, "improve reliability and resiliency" in energy provision. Further, it advocates for increased engagement with the community to ensure the new energy landscape is equitable and serves those most impacted by environmental inequities.
Identifying strategic priorities has led to a set of targeted outcomes in Seattle City Light’s update. These outcomes will be measured against five key strategic priorities: improving customer experience, creating our energy future, developing workforce and organizational agility, ensuring financial health and affordability, and the initiative dubbed 'We Power.' The planning process involved broad collaborative efforts, engaging utility employees, customers, community members, business leaders, the City Light Review Panel, the Mayor’s office, and various city departments.
With the Seattle City Council’s adoption of the Strategic Plan and the associated rate path, the next move is to propose a comprehensive rate ordinance. This proposal, crucial to implementing the new strategic vision, will be presented to the City Council before any new rates take effect. As Seattle embarks on this transformative journey, these cumulative efforts aim to secure a more sustainable and equitable energy future for its residents.
