Sammamish panel endorses hybrid electrification for City Hall, backs full electrification for MOC

The Sammamish Sustainability Commission voted to endorse recommendations from a consultant study that would upgrade aging heating systems at City Hall and the city’s Maintenance Operations Center (MOC).

The Commission endorsed a hybrid electrification approach for City Hall that the consultant estimated would avoid major electrical-service upgrades, reduce upfront costs and, when paired with rooftop solar, achieve roughly 97% operational carbon reductions by 2050. The presentation identified City Hall’s current baseline at about 700 metric tons of CO2-equivalent annually, with roughly 45% of that from electricity and 55% from natural gas.

Commissioners were told the hybrid option carries a substantially lower first cost than full electrification; the packet shows a net first cost for the hybrid path of about $2.7 million. The study also projects monthly utility savings for the hybrid path versus full electrification and indicates the hybrid recommendation would permit up to 27 fleet chargers to be added without increasing building service capacity.

“We are at 97% carbon reduction by 2050” when hybrid electrification is combined with solar, the Commission’s chair said during discussion, citing the consultant’s modeling. Commissioners pressed the consultant assumptions, asking staff to ask McKinstry to clarify certain inputs (for example, the consultant’s emission factor per therm of natural gas). Staff said they would follow up with the consultant and add answers to the Q&A for Council.

For the city’s MOC, the consultant recommended full electrification plus solar. Commissioners heard the MOC’s energy profile is different (it is not a 24/7 building), the delta in cost and carbon between hybrid and full options is small for that site, and the electrical service would not require the same expensive upgrade that a full-City-Hall electrification would. The packet listed an estimated photovoltaic installation cost for the MOC in the $280,000–$315,000 range and noted canopy/tree cover reduces rooftop yield compared with City Hall.

Commissioners moved and seconded motions endorsing the recommended paths: hybrid electrification with solar for City Hall and full electrification with solar for the MOC. Both motions passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition. The Commission’s endorsements and the consultant’s presentation will be transmitted to the City Council; staff said McKinstry will present the study findings to Council on June 2 and commissioners are welcome to provide public comment.

Why this matters: the recommendations are intended to help Sammamish meet local and state requirements — the Commission discussed the City’s Climate Action Plan targets (50% reduction by 2030, 96% by 2050) as well as the Washington State Energy Strategy and Clean Building Performance Standards — while balancing first costs, utility savings and near-term tax-credit timing for solar installations.

Next steps: staff will forward the Commission’s endorsement to City Council and request clarifications from McKinstry about emission factors and costing assumptions. Council will receive the consultant presentation on June 2.