Anacortes reviews draft climate element, weighs interim targets, EV plan and resilience costs

Consultants, city staff and community participants met in Anacortes to review a draft climate element that will be added to the city’s comprehensive plan, focusing discussion on interim greenhouse‑gas targets, an electric‑vehicle (EV) transition plan for city fleet and charging infrastructure, and resilience work such as a sea‑level‑rise vulnerability study and an urban tree‑canopy assessment.

The discussion matters because the climate element must meet state guidance while linking to the city’s land‑use, transportation and utilities policies; the choices will shape future regulations, capital projects and grant priorities. The team set a final public open house for March 20 and said planning commission review is expected in March–April, while flagging several follow‑up technical studies and potential budget implications.

Consultants from Parametrics presented projections and the rationale for setting interim targets between now and the state’s long‑term goal of net‑zero greenhouse‑gas emissions by mid‑century. Beth Miller of Parametrics summarized the approach and the tradeoffs: "What the state wants us to do is to set some targets for what we would like to aim for in terms of greenhouse gas emissions through time," she said, while noting a large portion of projected local emissions remain in natural gas heating and transportation fuels.

Participants pressed for short‑term, measurable benchmarks tied to what the city can control. Several city staff and elected officials argued interim targets should be actionable within typical capital and budget cycles: short‑term goals and…