Renewable resources focus of I-937

OLYMPIA — A little-noticed state initiative that would require utilities to get 15 percent of their power from renewable resources such as wind and solar appears well on its way to getting on the November ballot.

There's not much organized opposition so far, but that could change. The Association of Washington Business and some utilities are expected to oppose the measure, arguing it would drive up energy costs.

Initiative 937 has raised almost $300,000, and organizers say they've collected around 100,000 signatures. The campaign is leading the pack of groups trying to get measures on the ballot, at least in terms of fundraising — a key indicator of success.

"We are confident," said Bill LaBorde, a spokesman for the I-937 campaign. "We have over 2,200 volunteers who have signed up to help collect signatures.... We can see the volunteers are bringing the signatures in at the rate they need to."

The group also has hired paid signature gatherers. LaBorde said the campaign is aiming for about 300,000 signatures to meet the state's requirement for signatures of at least 224,880 registered voters. They have until July 7 to turn in their petitions.

The goal of I-937 is to help wean the state from fossil fuels by requiring utilities serving 25,000 or more customers to get at least 15 percent of their energy needs from renewable resources by 2020. Companies falling into that category supply about 84 percent of the energy used in the state.

Utilities that didn't meet the renewable-resources target, which would be phased in, would pay penalties to the state.

The initiative does not consider hydroelectric power a renewable source of energy, primarily because it's "a maxed-out resource," LaBorde said. "No one is talking about building major new hydro resources."

One of the measure's objectives is to create a more diverse mix of power resources, and "we're not going to do that by adding hydro," he said.

The measure would not dramatically increase energy costs because it contains an escape clause that would let utilities get a waiver if their costs rose more than 4 percent because of the initiative's requirements, he said.

In 2004, Washington customers got about 66 percent of their electricity from hydro and 33 percent from coal, nuclear and natural gas.

About 1.5 percent, including wind, solar and biomass, came from the renewable resources advocated by I-937 supporters. Biomass refers to burning waste byproducts, such as wood waste, to produce energy.

Opinions differ on how hard it would be for utilities to get 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources.

Opponents argue the initiative would drive up costs even with the 4 percent cap. They note any additional money spent to purchase renewable energy would come on top of regular cost increases unrelated to the initiative.

"There's a fundamental question: Are the targets achievable and, if they are, at what cost?" said Kris Mikkelsen, chief executive officer of Inland Power & Light, based in Spokane. "If we're all out in the market trying to buy wind turbines at the same time ... we're creating a lot of cost pressures that I think are artificial."

Utilities are already moving toward using more renewable energy sources, she said. "It's not that the utilities are against renewable resources. That's not it at all. We feel that this initiative is a sledgehammer approach to something that is occurring already anyway."

The Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which represents more than a dozen small utilities, including Inland Power, opposes the initiative.

The Association of Washington Business hasn't made a decision yet, but "I can't imagine us supporting it," said Don Brunell, the group's president.

Brunell said he's concerned I-937 would steer utilities away from developing more traditional but promising sources of energy, such as clean coal.

Yet some utilities support the proposal, and others are neutral.

The Washington Public Utility Districts Association supports I-937, and worked with the initiative backers on the measure's language, said Dave Warren, government-relations director for the association.

PUDs invested heavily in hydro electricity in the 1950s and 1960s "and it paid off," he said. "Our members believe in home-grown energy."

Other initiative supporters include Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, the Cascade Chapter of the Sierra Club and the League of Women Voters.

Puget Sound Energy, which provides power to more than 1 million customers along the Interstate 5 corridor, is neutral on the proposal.

"We'll have no problem complying with the new initiative," said Grant Ringel, a spokesman for the company.

Puget Sound Energy already plans to get 10 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2013 and doesn't expect any trouble getting to 15 percent by 2020, he said.

Andrew Garber: 360-943-9882 or agarber@seattletimes.com