The county is joining more than 150 local businesses and nearly 3,000 residential utility customers who have vowed to make comparable energy cuts. The goal is to save money and cut greenhouse gases, while reducing overall demand on the PUD’s energy supply.

The county is the first local government outside of the PUD to join the effort, said Laura McCrae, a senior utility analyst and a manager for the challenge.

“We’re all about recognizing customers’ success,” McCrae said. “Whether customers achieve 2 percent or 25 percent, they’re are all contributing to our goal of meeting our long-term energy needs.”

The PUD hopes to make the 10 percent cut at eight of its office facilities by the end of 2011, McCrae said. Participating businesses include various QFC and Emerald City Pizza stores.

The county’s pledge means that over the next three years, it plans to lower energy use by 10 percent below the 2007 to 2009 average. Efforts will focus on the county’s Everett campus as well as the South District Court and the Arlington-based fleet shop.

The potential savings for the county equals 875,000 kilowatt-hours — enough to power nearly 70 homes annually while reducing CO2 emissions by 125 tons each year, County Executive Aaron Reardon said in a press release.

The county hopes to reach its goals through retrofit projects as well as making employees more energy-conscious. Retrofits are partially being funded through a $1.5 million federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant.

The PUD launched the program in spring 2009. Collectively, participants could save nearly 15 million kilowatt-hours — enough to power 1,200 homes annually.

heraldnet.com