Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Renewable Energy Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City Light briefs committee on Renewable Plus program design, proposes 1.47¢/kWh premium; vote postponed
Summary
Seattle City Light told the committee it has contracted two Central Oregon renewable projects to supply a new bundled Renewable Plus product for large commercial customers and proposed an initial premium of 1.47 cents per kilowatt-hour; committee action was postponed.
Seattle City Light staff briefed the Sustainability, City Light, Arts & Culture Committee on March 20, 2025 about proposed changes to the Renewable Plus program ordinance and a proposed rate for a bundled renewable offering for commercial customers.
CEO Lindell introduced the presentation. Craig Smith, chief customer officer, Laurie Moen, manager of Customer Energy Solutions, Siobhan Doherty, power supply officer, and Kirsty Grainger, chief financial officer, described the program. Moen said the Renewable Plus product supplies a “bundled” resource: newly contracted renewable generation plus the associated renewable energy credits (RECs), delivered into City Light’s distribution system and retired on behalf of subscribing customers.
City Light reported contracts for two generating projects in Central Oregon with a guaranteed output of about 84,000 megawatt-hours; the projects are expected to begin delivering power in the first quarter of 2026. Customer participation agreements will be long-term (15-year commitments) to match the utility’s power-purchase agreements.
To enable the program, City Light proposed three ordinance changes: (1) broaden eligibility so customers pursuing third‑party certification programs (for example, the International Living Future Institute or similar pilots) may participate even if they do not meet earlier “large base-load” thresholds; (2) clarify language in Seattle Municipal Code section 21.49.089 regarding the program; and (3) set an initial rate premium. City Light presented a rate-design methodology that avoids cost‑shifting to nonparticipants, recovers program design and administration costs over time, and factors REC market value. The resulting proposed premium is 1.47 cents per kilowatt-hour, billed as a separate line item on participating customers’ bills. City Light said current reservations equal about 70% of available output and that staff expect to fully subscribe the first tranche in 2025.
No committee vote was taken on the ordinance at this meeting; the committee chair said items 5 and 6 would be moved to a later meeting and City Light would return for committee action. Committee members asked about non-monetary benefits, customer engagement, and program delivery; City Light noted the program can enable development of new renewable resources in the region and provide a 100% renewable option for large commercial and industrial customers.
City Light described planned next steps: finalize program delivery mechanisms, execute participation agreements, and return through the standard rate-making process after an initial three-year fixed term for the premium before folding the program into the utility’s regular biennial rate review cycle.
