Bellingham Garners Green Designation

4/20/2007

In recent months, Bellingham has garnered recognition for its green initiatives and efforts.

Bellingham is the number one Environmental Protection Agency-designated “Green Power Community” in the nation, based on eleven percent of the electricity consumed comes from local renewable sources such as wind, solar and biomass.

In late 2006, the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County supported a resolution to support green produced electricity in their municipal operations starting in January of 2007. Western Washington University has had a 100% green power pledge since 2005.

In addition, research by the city of Bellingham shows that the city has one of the highest per capita hybrid car ownership rates in the nation, three times the rate of Seattle. Likewise, the community has the highest per capita purchase of energy efficient, compact fluorescent light bulbs in the nation.

While Portland Oregon likes to boast the slogan “it’s not easy being green”, Bellingham has demonstrated it’s not that hard!