Seattle City Light
| File:Seattle City Light Logo.png | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 1, 1910: Seattle City Light created by Seattle City Council |
| Type | Electric utility |
| Jurisdiction | City of Seattle and some outlying communities |
| Headquarters | Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Employees | 1,811 |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | http://www.seattle.gov/light |
Seattle City Light is the public utility providing electrical power to Seattle, Washington, US, and parts of its metropolitan area, including all of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park and parts of unincorporated King County, Burien, Normandy Park, Seatac, Renton, and Tukwila.[1] About 776,336 residents (418,000 metered customers) served by Seattle City Light use approximately 9,466,642 megawatt-hours.[2]
Overview
Seattle City Light is the 10th largest public utility in the United States. It was the first electric utility in the nation to become greenhouse gas neutral (2005)[3] and has the longest running energy conservation program in the country. The utility owns a large portion of its generation, which is predominately hydro, so is able to offer some of the country's lowest rates to its customers (of utilities in urban areas). Seattle City Light's customer breakdown shows about 362,658 residential customers consuming about 3,098,745 megawatt-hours and 39,950 non-residential customers consuming about 6,367,897 megawatt hours.[4]
History
Public responsibility for electrical energy in Seattle dates to 1890 with creation of the Department of Lighting and Water Works. In 1902, Seattle voters passed a bond issue to develop hydroelectric power on the Cedar River (Washington) under the administration of the Water Department. Electricity from this development began to serve Seattle in 1905. A City Charter amendment in 1910 created the Lighting Department. Under the leadership of Superintendent James D. Ross, the department developed the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project, which began supplying power in 1924. Both public and private power were supplied to Seattle until 1951 when the City purchased the private electrical power supply operations, making the Lighting Department the sole supplier. The Boundary Project in northern Washington began operation in 1967 and currently supplies over half of City Light's power generation. Approximately ten percent of City Light's income comes from the sale of surplus energy to customers in the Northwest and Southwest. The current name of the agency was adopted in 1978 when the Department was reorganized.[5]
Seattle's electricity supply
For 2012, the fuel mix for Seattle City Light was approximately 89.8% hydroelectric, 4.4% nuclear, 3.9% wind, 0.8% coal, 0.6% other (including biomass, natural gas, petroleum and waste), and 0.5% landfill gases.[6] The utility owns and operates the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project, a series of three hydroelectric dams on the Skagit River in northern Washington State. The project supplies approximately 25 percent of Seattle's electric power. The utility also owns and operates the Boundary Dam on the Pend Oreille River which can provide up to approximately 50% of Seattle's electric power.[7] The remaining power comes from a mix of sources, including long-term contracts with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).[6] Seattle City Light residential customers currently pay about 8 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity. Seattle has the lowest residential and commercial electrical rates among comparably-sized cities in the United States.[8]
Innovation and Technology
LED Streetlights
On July 7, 2010 City Light began installing the first of 40,000 new LED street lights over the next five years.[9]
Seattle City Light completed this conversion ahead of schedule--November 2013. The LED replacement will continue with arterial streets and commercial areas with ornamental-type fixtures.
Community-owned Solar
In 2010, Seattle City Light received a U.S. Department of Energy grant to develop and implement a solar project that would provide power and/or financial benefit to members of the community. The Community Solar program allows any Seattle City Light customer to invest in solar energy. The first installation was on the roofs of picnic shelters at Jefferson Park, and the second was at the Seattle Aquarium.
Notes
- ^ Seattle City Light Rates Area Map, Seattle City Light. Accessed online 2009-10-07.
- ^ Seattle City Light Annual Report, Seattle City Light (2008 or later, based on internal evidence). Accessed online 2013-12-23.
- ^ http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/No-global-warming-at-City-Light-1187133.php
- ^ http://www.seattle.gov/light/AboutUs/AnnualReport/2012/2012%20annual%20report.pdf
- ^ Shannon Lynch and Scott Cline, Guide to the Seattle City Light Department History File 1894-1972, Northwest Digital Archives (NWDA), 2004. Accessed online 2009-10-07.
- ^ a b Fuel Mix: How Seattle City Light Electricity is Generated (information is for calendar year 2012), Seattle City Light. Accessed 2012-07-17.
- ^ Boundary Projects: dam facts, Seattle City Light. Accessed online 2007-12-12.
- ^ No rate changes at Seattle City Light for 2009, Seattle City Light news release, 2008-09-26. Accessed online 2009-10-07.
- ^ http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2010/07/07/news/city-installs-first-led-streetlight-ballard