Bainbridge Island’s quest to achieve clean energy by 2040 looks like it will come down to conversion to a single-energy source.
Earth and coastal scientists Katie Arkema and Debbie Rose from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory presented their findings from a two-year assessment of Bainbridge’s capacity to build up its clean energy sources to City Council Oct. 8.
Out of solar, wind, anaerobic biodigestion and tidal energy, solar arose as the best option by far, but not without caveats.
“None of the pathways, alone or combined, can achieve one hundred percent of the renewable energy needed at present, or by 2040, with on-island energy alone,” Rose said. “We found solar to be the most scaleable, affordable and near-term option for meeting Bainbridge’s future goals.”
The city must consider its current energy demand, seasonality of demand and the amount of growth it may expect on BI’s grid to plan for the 2040 deadline, including a power supply for ferry electrification. The reports say power use on the island is likely to increase up to 35%, depending on whether the city takes ambitious or moderate actions. In all scenarios, ferry electrification accounts for about 9% of growth.
As demand increases, more energy needs to be provided, Rose added. But if the rate of growth meets the lab team’s projections, “even the most aggressive civic efficiency programs and actions aren’t enough to offset the growing demand.”
Arkema and Rose determined five energy generation pathways with solutions chosen by community members, most of which involved a combination of several resources. However, even using every possible on-site clean energy resource would only serve a bit under one-third of BI’s total energy needs. In order to reach its goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040, the city must seek a partnership with an off-island renewable energy generation source to close the gap, the reports say.
While some options, like wind and tidal power, cannot produce enough energy to support an entire grid, they may still be useful in certain contexts or farther down the line, the team found. Wind energy can be harnessed at a few places around BI to support “key loads” at a smaller scale.
“There’s many opportunities to develop smaller-scale projects with public and private property owners, but we’ve found limited opportunities for large-scale solar on the island,” Rose said.
According to city documents, the island’s next steps should be to begin a concerted effort to install solar pathways and increase public outreach on the resource. Switching suitable city properties to solar, working with Puget Sound Enery on a large-scale solar project and supporting other public and private entities on the island as they switch to solar would be the first steps.
The city received a two-year federal grant in 2022 to conduct a research study and climate resilience plan as part of a nationwide incentive to decrease municipal emissions. It was one of 12 communities in the nation to receive the grant.
City staff worked with stakeholders like schools, the fire and parks department, sewer district, PSE, ferries and more. Technologies like solar rooftops and carports were recommended along with anaerobic biodigestion for converting waste to energy, and wind and marine energy. Already planned are electric heat pumps, electric vehicles and electric ferries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Another part of the report looks at threats to current infrastructure such as PSE transmissions lines and substations. Also, 18 community disaster hubs, including Battle Point Park, Bainbridge High School and Fort Ward Community Hall, were looked at along with city facilities like City Hall and the wastewater treatment plant; the ferry terminal; and fire stations. Hazards include severe storms, tsunamis, earthquakes, wildfires and sea level rise.
