(The Center Square) – The Pierce County Council is set to vote on the adoption of a revised greenhouse gas reduction plan with the goal of reducing emissions by 45% by 2030.
In order to reduce emissions by 45%, Pierce County is looking to electrify county-owned buildings and transportation, which are the two largest sources of emissions in the county. The plan would also seek to expand low carbon transportation options, reduce food waste, preserve trees throughout the region and conserve land.
Pierce County originally passed its Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan in 2021. According to the revised plan, 23 of the original 77 actions have been completed or are still ongoing, as of May 2023. In response to public feedback on the plan to inform the 2023 update, some actions have been edited, removed, and new actions have been added.
The new updated plan would see 48 community greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and 16 municipal focused goals if adopted by the Pierce County Council on Aug. 1.
The proposed Sustainability 2030 Plan aligns with the State of Washington’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030 based on a 2015 baseline, according to the plan.
Pierce County claims that buildings are the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in Washington state. Building emissions have increased by 50% since 1990, compared to overall statewide emissions having increased 10% overall. The county’s Planning and Public Works Department would be tasked with 10 actions to reduce building emissions in the next two years. This includes electrifying new buildings and retrofitting existing buildings.
Transportation is the second largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in Pierce County at approximately 31% of all emissions, according to the plan. County officials will look to implement a zero-emission bus fleet and expand bus rapid transit offerings to address emissions from transportation.
The plan notes that 75% of Pierce County residents drive alone to work and 46% of those commuters spend 30 minutes or more driving to work. Electric vehicles would be encouraged with an increase in the required infrastructure to charge more electric vehicles throughout the county.
Pierce County does not have an estimate for electrifying its bus fleet, however neighboring King County previously declared it would purchase 30 battery-electric buses with $33.5 million in federal funding. This means each individual battery-electric bus will cost approximately $1.1 million.
Pierce County’s current budget dedicates approximately $13 million in internal service funds to accelerate the purchase of electric vehicles for the county fleet.
Washington state has been experiencing increased flooding events, extreme heat during the summer, reduced snowpack, increased landslides and more forest fires. Most recently, on July 25, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and Wildland Fire Meteorologist Matthew Dehr said in a statement that drought conditions are expected to worsen over the coming weeks, and forecast models show the potential for a heat wave in early August.
