AN ORDINANCE relating to the City Light Department; authorizing the Department to enter and participate in the Western Energy Imbalance Market, including the ability to execute additional agreements necessary or convenient to participating in the Western Energy Imbalance Market.
Agenda Item seven Council Bill 119 571 relating to the satellite department authorizing department to enter and participate in the Western Energy Imbalance Market, including the ability to execute additional agreements necessary or convenient to participating in the Western Energy Imbalance Market. The Committee recommends Bill Pass. Thank you, Casper Mosquito. Thank you, Mr. President. So this is the second of the green energy legislation that's before us related to Seattle City Light, allowing for us to participate in the Western energy imbalance market. Again, I'll reiterate the comment I just made that, you know, in order for us to truly address the climate change and global warming, we need some radical policy changes that will absolutely take on how we have business as normal. This is a component of a much larger conversation that we must be having around how we create greener energy options. This is not the end all, be all again policy solution to creating green energy. But I think it's an important step that many of you have been working on for a long time to make sure that we could get into the Western energy imbalance market. This creates this helps us, I should say, create more options for greener energy in the market as we look at many of the western many of the Western states, which create higher, I should say, more equitable access to green energy, meeting our environmental standards, our carbon reduction goals, and creates final financial benefits for our region as well. We are very excited that Seattle City Light is going to be leading as the first public entity to join the Western Energy Imbalance Market. The market increases the reliability of renewable power and provides access to renewable power during peak demand periods. And with the amendments that we have included in the legislation in front of you, we have been able to work with a number of folks to get support from the environmental advocacy community and organizations that have been strongly supportive of the participation in the IM as the first public power utility in the Northwest to join. I want to thank Renewables Northwest, which is an early and strong supporter of the I am participation by all Northwest utilities. I want to support I want to thank NRDC, who has supported the expansion of Western energy markets to facilitate the transition of the energy sector to a less carbon intensive portfolio and to Northwest Energy Coalition, of which Seattle City has also been a member for many years. Very support. They are very supportive of our efforts to try to enter into this market as well. This is an innovative regional partnership that supports our climate goals and will increase revenues for our utility and together with the solar bill that was just voted on. These policies represent, I think, a critical component in us adapting greener energy, more efficient energy systems, and help move us away from fossil fuels and towards renewable sources. As we work to address climate change with that, thanks again to Seattle City Light for working with us and to Aaron House, who's been working on this piece of legislation over the last few months as well. Thank you. Customer. Any other questions or comments on the bill? Councilmember O'Brien. Thank you. Councilman ROSQUETA, thanks for your ongoing work on this. I'm excited to be at this point in supporting this. I want to just comment that there is some risk to this. The and I think that it's absolutely the right thing for us to be doing right now. We've heard from a lot of community members, including some of the folks that work from an environmental perspective on the energy market and believe that being part of this energy market will give us opportunities to sell our 100% clean electricity to other markets beyond just Seattle and to also take advantage of the the potential market advantages we have in that in the western in the Western energy market. But with that also comes some risk. And I think it's going to require ongoing diligence from the city council in the years to come to both ensure that the market is performing as as we hope. Again, there will be days where we're winners in days and we're losers as as a market. But we want to ensure that overall it is working to our benefit and to ensure that the folks at City Light are participating in that market in appropriate ways. I don't say that to to denigrate anyone in City Light, just that this is a complex structure and it's going to require that they have the resources and the expertize to be participating in that market in a way that is beneficial. Special to the the ratepayers of Seattle City Light the and also hopefully to the broader environmental goals of the city of Seattle. I think that the council has expressed concerns in the past citywide has been very responsive to that in designing a system. And, you know, there's some questions about how it will play out. I, I have the faith that people are doing their best, and I feel optimistic that it'll work out. And I think we'll have to just continue to provide oversight going forward, too. Brian, any other comments or questions before we vote on the bill? If not, please call the role on the passage of the bill. Thanks John I Gonzalez purple whereas mosqueda O'Brien I Pacheco want president hero. I. Eight and favorite unopposed. A. Of Senate. Please read the reports of the Finance and Neighborhoods Committee.