Wash. governor wants to lessen carbon footprint

Gov. Chris Gregoire wants state government to be carbon-neutral by 2020, and
announced Wednesday that the state Department of Ecology would be the first
agency to start enacting measures to lessen its carbon footprint.

Gregoire said that she has asked the head of Ecology to develop business
practices and strategies toward that goal and to act as a model for other
agencies, as well as for businesses and homes.

"It's one thing for us to talk about climate change and to look at federal
legislation, but if we're not keeping our own house in order that's a
problem," Gregoire said in a conference call with reporters. "There's a lot
of opportunity for us to save money."

Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant said that strategies for reducing Ecology's
carbon footprint are likely to include buying electric vehicles when they
are available and when the infrastructure to support them exists, increasing
the use of renewable energy, and increasing the elimination of waste and
turning waste into resources.

"We're going to look at what others are doing, we'll harvest good ideas,
we'll try them out," he said. "Change is needed, it's coming, and it will
help to show people it doesn't have to be scary or expensive."

Sturdevant told Gregoire that he would have a report for her by the end of
January on what initial steps the agency has taken.

Gregoire recently returned from Copenhagen, where she attended the U.N.
climate summit.

Gregoire said that she, along with Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and California
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, made sure others at that summit knew "that many
states were working on climate issues and making real progress."

The governor also announced the state's receipt of $5 million in stimulus
money to help businesses, nonprofit groups and government agencies pay for
energy efficiency retrofits in residential, commercial, nonprofit, and
low-income housing facilities.

The Department of Commerce will distribute the money to several groups,
including Avista Utilities in Spokane, the cities of Bellingham and Seattle,
and the Washington State Housing Finance Commission.

Grant recipients will team with banks and other financial institutions that
will help them with an expected $50 million in loans for energy-efficiency
projects for homeowners and businesses, Gregoire said.