The Metropolitan King County Council today launched an initiative to make King County more energy self-sufficient by using both solid waste and wastewater now disposed of or treated by the county to generate energy.

“More than half of the electricity now used by King County government goes for cleaning 200 million gallons of wastewater and disposing of 900,000 tons of garbage each year,” said Utilities Committee Chair Julia Patterson. “That same wastewater and trash is an untapped resource that can provide the county with a potential source of power. This motion calls for us to develop plans, projects and partnerships to take advantage of these untapped resources.”

The Council motion directs the Department of Natural Resources and Parks to work towards developing “green” energy sources—sources which benefit the environment. Buried trash and livestock waste generate methane gas, and the wastewater treatment process produces digester gas. All these “waste” gases can be captured to generate electrical power.

An important goal of the energy initiative is to increase revenues, reduce costs and buffer the county’s wastewater and solid waste operations from volatile energy prices. Large fluctuations in the energy markets had an impact on the cost the county paid for electricity in 2000 and 2001. 

“Treating our wastewater to keep Lake Washington and Puget Sound clean is a top priority, but doing so consumes an incredible amount of electricity,” said Larry Phillips, Chair of the Budget & Fiscal Management Committee. “For King County, that electricity is very expensive, but we can recapture much of that money by converting into energy methane and other byproducts of wastewater and solid waste treatment. It makes sense for the environment and the taxpayers’ pocketbook, and provides a great buffer against private sector manipulation of West Coast energy markets.”   

“King County is leading the way in harnessing energy from waste,” said Patterson.  “The scope and size of the county’s efforts are unique in the nation. The more energy we can generate ourselves, the less we have to buy on the open market.”         

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system at http://mkcclegisearch.metrokc.gov and type in “2003-0170”