Seattle
City Scorecard Rank
Seattle, WA
The City of Seattle formally adopted the Seattle Climate Action Plan in 2013.
Last updated: September 2021
Climate Mitigation Goal
Seattle’s Climate Action Plan established a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 58% below 2008 levels by 2030 and to achieve zero net core emissions by 2050. The Plan also establishes sector-specific emissions reduction goals of 82% from passenger vehicles and 39% from building energy by 2030. Based on ACEEE’s analysis of past years emissions data, ACEEE projects the city will achieve its near-term community-wide GHG emissions reduction goal.
The Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment conducts community-wide greenhouse gas emissions inventories at three- to four-year intervals.
Energy Reduction Goal
The city’s Climate Action Plan sets a goal to reduce commercial and residential building energy use by 10% and 20% respectively by 2030.
Renewable Energy Goal
As hydroelectricity powers almost all of Seattle, the city does not have a renewable energy goal; however, the Seattle Climate Action Plan states the intention to maintain Seattle City Light’s status as a carbon-neutral utility.
Last updated: September 2021
Equity-Driven Community Engagement
The city collaborated with marginalized residents living in the South Park region of Seattle to create the Duwamish Valley Action Plan. The city employed several approaches to increase participation from these residents.
Equity-Driven Decision-Making
The city’s Environmental Justice Committee (EJC) allows residents most-affected by environmental inequities to influence implementation of the city’s Equity and Environment Agenda. The EJC consists of a twelve-member board with ties to Seattle communities. The EJC oversees the Environmental Justice Fund, which is a grant opportunity for communities to pursue opportunities and projects that enhance environmental justice and social equity. The Fund has a $250,000 budget, with the maximum grant award capped at $40,000.
Equity Accountability Measures
Seattle requires new policies and programs to complete a Racial Equity Toolkit at their inception. The City of Seattle requires all City departments develop race and social justice goals and assess program development and implementation with a race and social justice toolkit through the city’s Race and Social Justice Initiative.
Seattle’s Equity and Environment Agenda seeks to advance racial equity in environmental planning. The Agenda outlines broad goals the city must pursue to ensure a just and equitable approach to environmental planning. The city also released the Environmental Equity Assessment Pilot tool. The tool makes environmental equity data transparent and available to the public.
Last updated: September 2021
Seattle City Light installed a solar-plus-storage microgrid at the Miller Community Center. The utility plans to use the project as a test case to understand the resilience benefits of the system.
Seattle City Light has developed 5 Community Solar projects with cumulative generating capacity of 170 kW.
Last updated: September 2021
UHI Mitigation Goal
Seattle’s 2013 Urban Forest Stewardship Plan includes a goal to increase the city’s urban tree canopy from 23% land cover to 30% by 2037.
UHI Policies and Programs
Seattle incorporated the Green Factor into its city code. The Green Factor is a score-based landscaping standard that requires new developments to integrate green infrastructure practices such as green roofs, rain gardens, and swales into the development.
The city has adopted a private tree protection ordinance.
The city grants floor area bonuses for developments that preserve and/or provide open space amenities as part of a transfer of development rights policy.
Last updated: September 2021
The City of Seattle complies with the statewide residential code, but the state allows Seattle to adopt more stringent commercial code. The city has adopted its own benchmarking ordinance, and data is available to the public. Seattle offers a range of incentives and financing options for energy efficiency and low-income energy projects. The city adopted a tune-up policy and adheres to state building performance standards.
Last Updated: June 2021
Overview
The State of Washington requires all local jurisdictions to comply with the state mandated residential building energy codes but permits local jurisdictions to have more stringent commercial codes. The 2018 Washington State Energy Code for residential buildings is significantly advanced beyond the 2018 IECC, most notably for the extensive use of the "additional efficiency credits" table for incorporation of above-code elements. The Seattle Energy Code for commercial buildings incorporates provisions that significantly reduce building energy use and carbon emissions, resulting in approximately 20% better efficiency than ASHRAE 90.1. The City of Seattle has actively advocated for local authority to adopt its own residential stretch code. In the most recent 2021 legislative session, HB 1084 included a provision to grant this authority. The City of Seattle provided written and in -person testimony to the legislature and coordinated on bill language with the bill sponsor. To learn more about the building energy codes required in the State of Washington, please visit the State Policy Database.
Commercial
Commercial properties comply with the Seattle Energy Code. At this time, New Buildings Institute is unable to produce a zEPI score for Seattle because there are no available analyses comparing the city’s code to model energy codes.
Residential
Residential properties comply with the Washington State Energy Code. At this time, New Buildings Institute is unable to produce a zEPI score for Seattle because there are no available analyses comparing the city’s code to model energy codes. Seattle actively advocated for the passage of HB 2931, which would have created a tiered residential energy code. The city conducted legislative outreach and partnered with environmental organizations, industry groups, and other cities as part of its efforts.
Solar-readiness policies
The city requires commercial and multifamily buildings to install renewable energy or be solar-ready. As part of this policy, if solar is not feasible, the building must achieve energy efficiency savings more stringent than the current code.
EV-charging readiness and infrastructure policies
The City of Seattle adopted an ordinance in Spring of 2019 that requires all new construction to include EV readiness. The number of EV enabled parking spots are dependent on total number of parking spots built. Off-street parking rules also apply. Additionally, the City proactively lobbied for WA state House Bill 1257 which requires EV readiness in new construction for all on-site parking. The bill passed the legislature.
Low-energy use requirements
The Sustainable Buildings and Sites Policy for municipal facilities requires new construction and major renovations 5,000 square feet or great to meet LEED Gold certification, as well as key performance requirements for energy and water efficiency, waste diversion and bicycle facilities.
Last Updated: June 2021
Seattle staffs five full time employees solely dedicated to energy code compliance. Seattle requires plan reviews, air barrier testing, mandatory commissioning, and site inspection to meet compliance standards. The city offers training and education on both general code compliance training and offers customized events for individual stakeholder groups. The city also provides upfront support on lighting aspects of the energy code through the Lighting Design Lab.
Last Updated: June 2021
Building performance standards
The City of Seattle lobbied actively for WA state bill HB1257, which mandates that existing commercial buildings 50k sq feet or greater meet certain energy use thresholds. The City is also analyzing a city-specific requirement that could be based on a carbon metric. This strategy is outlined in the Mayor's Climate Action Plan.
Retrocommissioning requirements
The Seattle Tune-Up Policy (Seattle Municipal Code 22.930) requires the owners of nonresidential buildings over 50,000 square feet to perform building tune-ups to optimize energy and water system performance once every five years.
Commercial and multifamily benchmarking
Seattle formally adopted Municipal Code 22.920 that required commercial and multifamily buildings greater than 20,000 square feet to benchmark energy usage. The public may access building data on an open data map. The benchmarking policy covers 83% of commercial and multifamily buildings. The policy has achieved a compliance rate of 100%.
Energy audit requirements
In addition to tune-ups, the Seattle Tune-Up Policy (Seattle Municipal Code 22.930) requires the owners of nonresidential buildings over 50,000 square feet to perform energy assessments to optimize energy and water system performance once every five years.
Incentives
Seattle offers expedited permitting to green building projects through its Priority Green program. The city runs an incentive zoning program that requires developers to provide public benefits to achieve greater height/density on their building site. Through Seattle's Director's Rule, land use departures (e.g. floor area increases) are allowed for both residential and commercial construction that achieve green standards. Additional development capacity like floor area and height are offered through the Land Use Code via the Green Building Standard and Living Building Pilot.
The city provides a rebate for residential households to switch from oil to electric heat pumps. Seattle City Light, the city’s municipal utility, also provides rebates for cost-effective, above-code construction and for existing building efficiency improvements.
Seattle has also partnered with two nonprofits to provide energy efficiency financing and utility repayment plans.
Seattle City Light offers income-eligible customers the opportunity lower electricity bills by 60%.
Seattle City Light awarded three affordable housing projects with solar energy grants as part of the utility’s Green Up program.
Voluntary programs
The city runs the Seattle 2030 District, a voluntary benchmarking program for commercial buildings.
Last Updated: September 2021
Seattle's Building Tune-Up policy helps grow the energy efficiency workforce.
Last Update: June 2021
The transportation authority serving the city of Seattle is The Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority. Sound Transit manages the public transportation system of Seattle including bus, train, and light rail service. Washington State Ferries and King County Ferries provide Seattle with ferry service. The Puget Sound Regional Council is the MPO in charge of conducting metropolitan transportation planning. Its area of jurisdiction encompasses Seattle, and many surrounding cities and towns. The King County Department of Transportation is the city agency charged with managing the city’s transportation network.
Last updated: January 2017
Sustainable Transportation Plan
Seattle’s Transportation Strategic Plan outlines the specific strategies, projects, and programs that implement broader citywide goals and policies for transportation in the city. Some of the strategies include designing transportation infrastructure in urban villages to support land use goals for compact neighborhoods, encourage planning and designing of city transportation facilities, and establishing multi-modal hubs providing transfer points between transit modes in urban centers and urban villages.
Additionally, the Drive Clean Seattle initiative aims to electrify the transportation sector at large with City Light’s carbon neutral electricity as a key climate strategy.
VMT/GHG Targets and Stringency
Seattle's Climate Action Plan calls for an 82% reduction in transportation greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from a 2008 baseline. This is equivalent to a 5.3% annual reduction.
Progress Achieved Toward VMT/GHG Targets
The City is currently on track to meet it's goal.
Last Updated: December 2021
Location Efficient Zoning Codes
The City of Seattle has adopted an Urban Village Strategy as part of the Comprehensive Plan, which identifies and guides growth to those areas of the city that are most able to support growth and reduce GHGs due to existing and planned investments in transportation, parks, business districts, and other amenities. The urban village designations are used to support zoning and investment decisions. Additionally, the Seattle Mixed (SM) zone (chapter 23.48 of the Seattle Municipal Code) allows a mix of residential, commercial, and office uses in former industrial areas. In general, SM is most appropriate in Urban Centers and Urban Villages where density is being concentrated and a high level of transit exists or is planned. Similarly, the pedestrian zone (P Zone) designation is intended to preserve or encourage intensely retail and pedestrian-oriented shopping districts where non-auto modes of transportation to and within the district are strongly favored.
Residential Parking Policies
Seattle requires one parking space be built per residential dwelling, but no parking is required in areas 1/4 mile to transit stations. Parking minimums were recently reduced for transit-oriented development.
Location Efficiency Incentives and Disclosure
Seattle offers exemptions from parking requirements and streamlined environmental review to promote location efficiency.
Last Updated: December 2021
Mode Shift Targets
Seattle has a target to reduce single occupancy vehicles trips by 25% by 2025 from a 2012 baseline.
Progress Achieved Toward Mode Shift Targets
Seattle does not track progress towards their mode shift target.
Complete Streets
Seattle does have a Complete Streets policy.
Last Updated: December 2021
Transportation Funding
The transportation entities that serve the City of Seattle have received $1,587,343,022.20 on average annually between 2015 and 2019. That equates to roughly $502.51 per capita between 2015 and 2019 within the Authority's service area.
Access to Transit Services
The Transit Connectivity Index measures transit service levels. It is based on the number of bus routes and train stations within walking distance for households scaled by frequency of service. The City of Seattle Transit Connectivity Index value is 8.5, scoring 1.5 points in the City Scorecard.
Last Updated: December 2021
Vehicle Purchase Incentives
At this time, Seattle does not offer incentives for citizens to purchase hybrid, plug-in, or EV vehicles. The passage of state law SHB1512 provided explicit authority to electric utilties to provide incentives to ratepayers for EVSE and EV's. The City and Seattle City Light advocated extensively for this bill and Seattle City Light was the lead author of the bill with a few other regional electric utilities. Advocacy included meeting with legislators, testifying in committee hearings, letters of support, finetuning legislation text, advocating with other allies for support. Seattle City Light completed an transportation electrification plan in 2019 with next step work on developing EV rebates and incentives.
Vehicle Infrastructure Incentives
In October 2020, Seattle City Light received authority from Seattle City Council to spend rate payer dollars on transportation electrification incentives for infrastructure.
EV Charging Locations
The City has 715 charging ports available for public use, equivalent to 94.9 ports per 100,000 people.
Electric School Bus Goal
There is a goal in place to achieve full fleet electrification by 2040.
EV Transit Bus Goal
King County Metro has adopted a goal of transitioning to 100% zero-emissions transit fleet by 2040.
Last Updated: December 2021
Seattle has a Freight Master Plan to improve freight mobility and safety in the city, in conjunction with department efforts to improve mobility across a range of transportation modal opportunities for moving people and goods.
Last Updated: December 2021
Affordable New TOD Housing Policy
Seattle provides a Multifamily Tax Exemption for affordable housing built within urban centers.
Connecting Existing Affordable Housing Stock to Efficient Transportation Options
Seattle provides income-eligible people living, in Seattle with a pre-loaded ORCA LIFT reduced fare card.
Last Updated: December 2021
Seattle City Light, a municipally operated utility, is the primary provider of electricity for the City of Seattle. Puget Sound Energy (PSE), an investor-owned utility (IOU), is the primary provider of natural gas for Seattle. The State of Washington requires spending and savings targets for its IOUs and municipally-run utilities through an EERS. To learn more about the state requirements for electric and gas efficiency, please visit the Washington page of the State Database.
The Drinking Water Line of Business within Seattle Public Utilities, a municipal utility, provides retail drinking water services for Seattle and several adjacent cities as well as providing wholesale drinking water to water purveyors across King County. Seattle Public Utilities also manages the city’s stormwater and wastewater conveyance systems. Seattle’s wastewater, via Seattle Public Utilities' combined and sanitary only sewer lines, is conveyed to Regional transmission lines and treatment plants by the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, a municipal utility. In Seattle, each entity runs its own ratepayer-funded efficiency programs.
Last Updated: July 2021
In 2019, according to Seattle City Light, they achieved 92,181 MWh in net incremental savings, representing 1.05% of retail sales. In 2019, Seattle City Light spent $32,920,361 on energy efficiency programs, which represents 3.51% of its retail revenue.
In 2019, PSE reported savings of 3.22 MMtherms from natural gas efficiency programs, representing 0.36% of its retail sales. In 2019, PSE spent $15,910,511 on energy efficiency, which equates to $20.20 per residential customer. These figures cover the entire Washington service territory, not just Seattle.
Seattle City Light offers electric efficiency incentives and technical assistance to residential and commercial/industrial customers. PSE similarly offers natural gas efficiency programs to residential and business customers.
Last Updated: July 2021
Low-Income Programs
Seattle City Light funds a low-income weatherization program administered by the City of Seattle’s Office of Housing called HomeWise. HomeWise provides energy efficiency measures including air-sealing, ductless heat pumps, water heaters, refrigerators, and lighting to single-family and multifamily properties. The program also includes health and safety measures such as bath and kitchen fans. Seattle City Light also provides efficient lighting, water efficiency measures and power strips to low-income multifamily customers through the Multifamily Direct Install program, described in the Multifamily section below. Seattle City Light defines low-income as 70% of the state median income.
Seattle City Light provides funding to the City of Seattle’s Office of Housing. The Office of Housing receives additional funding from the State Department of Commerce and the Bonneville Power Administration. The Office of Housing coordinates activities with local governments and agencies inside and outside the city of Seattle, such as the King County Housing Authority, Seattle Housing Authority, and low-income housing providers. Low-income weatherization is funded through funds from Seattle City Light, the Seattle Housing levy, Washington State Capital Budget, Federal funds, and Puget Sound Energy. In 2020, this amounted to $4.09 million allocated towards low-income weatherization programs.
In 2019, according to Seattle City Light, it achieved 86 MWh in energy savings from its low-income programs, while serving 2,359 low-income customers and spending $2,689,075.
While PSE offers the Weatherization Assistance Program to qualified low-income gas residential customers in the City of Seattle boundaries. PSE program provides free weatherization assistance to single family, multi-family, and manufactured home customers. Measures provided include insulation, air sealing, water and space heating measures and health/safety and repairs measures. The program targets households with high energy users, elderly, disabled, children, and tribal members. Households that are eligible for federal bill assistance or weatherization programs automatically qualify for PSE’s program. The program is implemented in collaboration with county and municipal low-income weatherization agencies, the Washington State Department of Commerce, and participating weatherization contractors and suppliers.
In 2019, according to PSE spent $914,253 on its low-income program and served 1,825 low-income customers. The savings value for their 2019 low-income programs was not available.
Multifamily Programs
Seattle City Light’s multifamily comprehensive program consist of four segments. The Multifamily New Construction segment works with multifamily developers of five or more-unit buildings to incorporate energy-efficient technologies and equipment into building design. Seattle City Light provides financial incentives to offset the costs of energy-efficient technologies and equipment. Measures include in-unit lighting, dryers, heat pumps, and advanced power strips. The Multifamily Retrofit segment offers rebates for upgrades to in-unit and common area lighting in multifamily properties. The Multifamily Weatherization segment offers rebates for replacing windows and insulation in electrically-heated multifamily propitiates. The Powerful Neighborhood's Direct Install segment offers free efficient LED bulbs, shower heads, and faucet aerators to owners or managers of residential buildings with five or more units.
In 2019, according to SCL, it achieved 15,190 MWh in energy savings from its multifamily programs, while serving 5,029 multifamily properties and spending $5,841,136.
PSE offers the Multifamily Retrofit Incentives Program. This comprehensive program provides a free energy assessment along with a combination of free direct install replacement measures and electric/gas incentives. Multifamily structures and campuses typically have the opportunity to participate, with upgrades in individual units, common areas, and for the building envelope. PSE spent $1,373,405 on its multifamily program and served 204 housing units and 9 multifamily properties in 2019. We were unable to verify program savings in 2019.
In addition, Seattle City Light funds the City of Seattle’s Office of Housing's HomeWise Weatherization Program. The program targets rental property owners with a majority of tenants meeting income qualifications. Program measures include attic and wall insulation, combustion appliance safety, ventilation and indoor air quality measures, air and duct sealing, pipe wrap, in-unit or central heating and hot water systems, and additional measures as determined.
Last Updated: August 2021
Seattle provides automated benchmarking services through Portfolio Manager. PSE signed on with the City of Seattle to partner on the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Initiative, Energy Data Accelerator, to facilitate better access to energy usage data.
Seattle receives annual energy consumption data at the aggregate level (commercial, residential, and industrial sectors) from Seattle City Light and PSE for the purposes of compiling their GHG emissions inventory report. The data can be viewed under the Tracking Metrics section of the 2018 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory report.
Last Updated: July 2021
Utility Climate Mitigation Goal
In 2005, Seattle City Light became the first electric utility in the country to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions, and has maintained carbon neutral status in subsequent years. Over 80% of the power produced by SCL is generated from hydroelectric power, and the remaining power is generated from a mix of power sources, excluding coal and natural gas.
City-Led Efforts to Decarbonize the Electric Grid
Because Seattle City Light is powered by carbon-free energy sources, the City of Seattle achieved zero emissions per capita in 2019.
Last Updated: July 2021
Citywide Water Efficiency and Goals
To help customers reduce water use, the Saving Water Partnership (SWP)—which is made up of Seattle and its 18 water utility partners—offers water-saving rebates, community and youth education, cost-sharing with customers who retrofit old water-using equipment with new equipment that is more efficient than required by national and state codes, as well as educational campaigns for efficient water use in the landscape. Seattle City Light collaborates with Seattle Public Utilities on joint energy and water efficiency programs, often focusing on water heating.
The SWP has a ten-year regional water use efficiency goal to keep the total average annual retail water use of SWP members under 110 million gallons per day from 2019 through 2028.
Water Plant Efficiency and Self-Generation
The Wastewater Treatment utility, operated by King County, has an energy conservation goal of 2% per year from a 2007 baseline, but does not have a comprehensive energy management strategy.
Several of the water treatment plants generate energy on site from digester gas, and the West Point treatment plant has a combined heat and power system over its anaerobic digester which additionally produces 23,000 MWh annually.
Last Updated: August 2021
The 2018 Seattle Climate Action document outlines climate and energy actions the city is pursuing in municipal operations.
Climate Mitigation Goal
As stated in the 2018 Seattle Climate Action document, the city established a goal to reduce carbon emissions from municipal buildings by 40% by 2025. ACEEE was unable to project if the city will achieve its near-term GHG emissions reduction goal for municipal buildings because insufficient GHG emissions data were available for our analysis.
Energy Reduction Goal
The City Council formally adopted Resolution 31491 in 2013. The Resolution established an energy reduction goal of 20% below 2008 levels by 2020 in municipal operations. The Climate Action Plan builds upon this goal and established a municipal energy use reduction goal of 40% by 2025.
Renewable Energy Goal
Seattle aims to continue to use renewable electricity to power 100% of city facilities.
Last updated: May 2021
Fleet Policies and Composition
The City of Seattle’s Green Fleet Action Plan requires 50% reduction in greenhouse gas pollution from a 2013 baseline across the municipal fleet by 2025. This action plan prioritizes electric vehicles where possible in addition to biofuels, advanced technology pilots, fleet right-sizing, driver behavior, and anti-idling efforts. Seattle updated the plan in 2019. Additionally, the city is currently reviewing their fleet procurement policies to develop a new Green Fleet Standard. Seattle’s fleet is composed of 5% efficient vehicles, including battery electric vehicles.
Public Lighting
We did not find information regarding the adoption of a policy requiring efficient outdoor lighting, such as the International Dark-Sky Association’s Model Lighting Ordinance. The City of Seattle was one of the first cities in the nation to embark on a massive city-wide streetlight conversion project that that was part of the DOE LED street lighting consortium project. In 2014 residential conversions were completed and the utility has expanded conversion in other parts of the city including the downtown center. Controls are managed at site and not from a central control center. Fixtures have the ability to extinguish when sufficient daylight is available with photocell sensor. 86% of streetlights in Seattle have been converted to LED.
Onsite and offsite renewable systems
We were unable to find information regarding onsite renewable energy systems installed by the City of Seattle.
Inclusive procurement
The city has a socially responsible policy for procuring, purchasing, and contracting for all projects, including energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Seattle City Light, the city's utility, and the Office of Sustainability, have plans and goals for utilization of women- and minority-owned businesses.
Last updated: May 2021
Building Benchmarking
Seattle benchmarks approximately 90% of municipal buildings over 5,000 square feet. Data is disclosed publicly, updated monthly, and analyzed annually.
Comprehensive Retrofit Strategy
Since 2011, through a Mayor's announcement, Seattle has had a goal to achieve 20% energy savings in municipal buildings by 2020 from a 2008 baseline. A citywide Resource Conservation Management Plan (RCMP), adopted by City Council Resolution 31491 in December 2013. The 2013 Resource Conservation Management Plan includes continued capital and operations improvement strategies, along with ongoing building analyses to identify future opportunities. As part of that plan, $3 million is dedicated to capital energy efficiency projects in 14 facilities in 2015-2016, with additional funding for operations improvements and measurement and verification. Mayor’s Climate Strategy includes a commitment from the Mayor for the City to double its budget allocation from 2021 to 2025 and set a new target to achieve an overall 40 percent energy and carbon emissions reduction in municipal buildings by 2025. Since 2015, the city has completed approximately 50 energy efficiency projects and goal tracking indicates a 22% decrease in site energy use.
Last updated: May 2021