Client: City of Bellingham, WA
Case Study
Peak facilitator, David Roberts, facilitated all meetings and strategy sessions of the Climate Action Task Force. Peak also supported City staff in agenda development, timeline management, planning frameworks and research development, and strategy decisions. Peak staff also co-wrote, edited, and formatted all final products including the final report. The resulting report, adopted by Bellingham City Council, laid the groundwork to identify priorities and policies needed for the City to attain accelerated targets.
The process drew upon the Task Force membership’s extensive background and knowledge of energy supply, buildings, transportation, and land use. They also included representatives from the energy utilities and public transportation and staff representing City departments. The Climate Action Task Force devoted over a thousand hours to address the Council’s request for a feasibility analysis of a 100% renewable energy supply and estimates of GHG reduction.
In the final Climate Action Task Force Report co-written by Peak Sustainability, the Task Force developed 50 policy and program measures to accelerate the City’s 100% renewable energy targets to 2030 and 2035. The report accomplished the following:
- triple-bottom-line evaluation of each of 50 measures
- determination of the feasibility, costs, and impacts of the 100% renewable energy ambitions
- targets for 100% renewable energy
- identification of funding mechanisms
- estimated projections of GHG reductions resulting from the implementation of measures for buildings, transportation, land use, and energy supply
- outline of a plan to achieve the recommended 100% renewable targets
- targets for accelerated greenhouse gas emissions reductions
Project Impact
The Task Force developed measures for transportation, buildings, land use, and renewable energy generation. Based on this work, Bellingham departments are using the results to inform and direct its climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. We looked across the country and around the world to find the most promising and achievable ideas for City Council consideration.
Client Testimonial
I was impressed by Peak’s reliability, consistency, and steady commitment to excellence. Particularly toward the end of the project, when we had an overwhelming amount of work to do in a compressed period. Not only did Peak cheerfully facilitate the final process of information gathering, writing, and editing, they were continually working to the very end, under tight deadlines, to improve the product. This work above and beyond the call of duty was essential in producing a quality, credible project. There was quite a bit of outside scrutiny of the project, as well as keen interest among local policymakers. In this high-pressure situation, Peak staff exemplified grace under pressure. I would recommend Peak without reservations for similar projects involving work of high analytical and political complexity, and with critical real-world importance. Mark Gardner, City of Bellingham, City Council Legislative Analyst