Spokane council approves $650,000 Carbon Quest feasibility study and accepts EPA subaward for climate resilience

Spokane City Council voted to authorize a contract with Carbon Quest of up to $650,000 to conduct a feasibility and engineering study of carbon‑management options at the city’s Waste‑to‑Energy facility and approved budget amendments to accept an EPA subaward tied to a climate resilience project.

Council members said the study responds to requirements flowing from the Washington Climate Commitment Act and to uncertainty over whether the city’s Waste‑to‑Energy plant can be exempted from new state obligations without expensive upgrades. City legal staff and council members described the action as preparatory work to evaluate technical solutions and costs.

The study was authorized through Resolution R.2025‑5703 (listed on the agenda as “declaring that a special market condition does exist, waiving competitive bidding requirements, and authorizing the city to enter into a contract with Carbon Quest in the amount not to exceed $650,000”), and council also approved ordinance amendments (referred to in the meeting as Ordinance C366339 and related budget language) to accept an EPA…