PLUGGED IN TO COWLITZ PUD

By Alice Dietz, Cowlitz PUD Comunications/ Public Relations Manager

Act Now! Washington Clean Buildings Compliance

The Clean Buildings Act was signed into law by the Washington State Legislature, May 2019. The law requires buildings larger than 50,000 sq.ft. to comply with standards to reduce energy consumption. In addition, buildings 20,000-50,000 sq.ft. will be required to comply in the future. Compliance dates range from June 1, 2026 to June 1, 2028. Understanding your building’s path to compliance is important, as baselining energy consumption and following the investment criteria (if necessary) can take several years.

Approximately 160 buildings in Cowlitz County are expected to comply with the Clean Buildings Act. Penalties for non-compliance can be as high as $1 per square foot, per year. At a high level, the following are the steps to compliance:

1. Benchmark and have a qualified person calculate the building’s Energy Use Intensity Target (EUIt).

2. Designate an individual as energy manager for the building.

3. Develop and adopt an energy management plan.

4. Develop and implement an operation and maintenance (O&M) program.

5. Meet EUIt (if not already meeting or cannot calculate EUIt) by following the Investment Criteria process outlined in WAC 194-50 to identify and implement cost-effective energy efficiency measures. Early adopter incentives are available through the Department of Commerce for Tier 1 buildings at $0.85 per sq.ft. and Tier 2 buildings at $0.30 per sq.ft. It’s important to act early, as funds are limited to $75 million and $150 million for Tier 1 and Tier 2 buildings, respectively. Cowlitz PUD can assist in understanding how your building may be eligible for these incentives.

Cowlitz PUD is available as a resource for customers facing compliance with the Clean Buildings Act. In addition to the early adopter incentives offered by the Department of Commerce, Cowlitz PUD offers rebate programs that may be used in conjunction with the early adopter incentives. These include commercial lighting, HVAC, insulation, window and door, and water heating rebates. Contact Cowlitz PUD to determine if your building is

Please Contact Cowlitz PUD Energy Efficiency Services with any questions you might have: eeservices@ cowlitzpud.org or

Also available at:

• Columbia Gorge Interpretive Museum Stevenson

• Vintage Books 6613 E. Mill Plain, Vancouver

• Broadway Gallery Longview

• Cowlitz County Historical Museum Shop Kelso

• Vault Books & Brew Castle Rock

• Morgan Arts Center

• Mount St. Helens Gift Shop Castle Rock, I-5 Exit 49

• Tsuga Gallery

• Wahkiakum Eagle

• Redmen Hall

• Skamokawa Store

• Appelo Archives

• Time Enough Books

• Beach Books

• Fort Clatsop

• Godfathers Books Astoria, Ore.

• RiverSea Gallery Astoria,Ore.

• Columbia River Maritime Museum Store Astoria,

• Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum The Dalles, Ore.

By Robert Michael Pyle and Judy VanderMaten