Item No: 8b______________
Meeting Date: March 27,2018
2018 Energy and Sustainability Special Committee Charter Motion Page 1 of 2
MOTION 2018-04:
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A MOTION OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION
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ADOPTING THE CHARTER OF AN ENERGY AND
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SUSTAINABILITY SPECIAL COMMITTEE
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PROPOSED
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MARCH 27, 2018
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TEXT OF THE MOTION
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The Port of Seattle Commission hereby adopts the attached charter of the 2018 Energy and
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Sustainability Special Committee to develop policy recommendations and provide oversight of:
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the Century Agenda’s environmental and sustainability goals including “be the greenest and
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most energy-efficient Port in North America” and “meet all increased energy needs through
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conservation and renewable sources”; implementation of the Commission’s motion of October
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24, 2017; and of the items described in the attached charter.
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STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION
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An Energy and Sustainability Committee was originally chartered by the Port of Seattle
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Commission on January 26, 2016. On October 24, 2017, the Commission passed a motion
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supporting the committee’s recommendation to align the Port’s greenhouse gas reduction
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goals with those of King County and the City of Seattle. It also instructed Port staff to develop a
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Sustainability Evaluation Framework to assist the Port in meeting its greenhouse gas reduction
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and sustainability goals. The work of the 2016 Energy and Sustainability Committee concluded
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on December 2019.
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The Port of Seattle Commission made chartering of a new Energy and Sustainability Committee
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one of its top priorities for 2018. The Port has significant strategic environmental decisions in
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2018 and 2019 that will require an added level of oversight and engagement by the Chairs of
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this Committee, Commissioners Fred Felleman and Ryan Calkins. The Committee will undertake
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four primary subjects in its workplan: the Sustainable Evaluation Framework, Sustainable
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Aviation Fuels, an aquatic carbon sequestration “Blue Carbon” strategy, and an update of the
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Port’s Environmental Awards.
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The Sustainable Project Framework was proposed by the 2016 Energy and Sustainability
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Committee, chaired by Commissioners Courtney Gregoire and Fred Felleman. This Framework
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will assist the Commission in making decisions on projects in a transparent manner that
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Item No: 8b______________
Meeting Date: March 27,2018
2018 Energy and Sustainability Special Committee Charter Motion Page 2 of 2
explicitly reviews the environmental, social, and financial tradeoffs that occur in any project of
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significance. The Committee will recommend four pilot projects to develop the Framework.
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The Chairs will conduct oversight on the development of a Sustainable Aviation Fuels strategy
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and implementation. Sustainable Aviation Fuels is one of the most significant ways the Port can
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create greenhouse gas reductions in the region.
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Blue Carbon is a new area of exploration for the Port that the Committee will support through
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community engagements and partnerships. The Blue Carbon pilot project developed by a Port
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of Seattle graduate intern, Victoria Knorr, will break ground this year and could have significant
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impact on our greenhouse gas sequestration and regional partnerships.
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Finally, the Committee shall update the Port’s environmental awards with an eye towards
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creating a comprehensive award that engages all of the Port’s stakeholders and elevates the
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community’s sense of the Port’s environmental innovation.
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The Port of Seattle Commission, by this motion, charters the 2018 Energy and Sustainability
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Special Committee to develop policy recommendations and conduct oversight in these four
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primary areas to further the environmental and sustainability goals of the Port’s Century
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Agenda.
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