Blog Post

Energy Futures Conference

Energy Resilience on the North Olympic Peninsula

The geographically isolated North Olympic Peninsula of Washington is connected to the broader electrical transmission system by a single line. This affects both everyday reliability of the grid and its resilience, resulting in frequent, often weather-driven outages, that can last for days. It also limits the loads that the system can support for economic development and community needs. Further, a disaster like a tsunami or earthquake is projected to leave the region without power for up to a year. 

 

A coalition of organizations on the North Olympic Peninsula is eager to apply for federal infrastructure funds to increase local energy resilience, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy independence for remote communities, and enable economic development and job opportunities. However, it’s important to better understand the most critical needs, evaluate potential technologies, and assess what workforce and local capacity will be needed to build and operate new energy projects. 

 

To better understand the most critical needs, explore solutions, and identify opportunities for broader collaboration, NODC partnered with PNNL and regional stakeholders, including local governments, tribal communities, public utilities, and economic development agencies, on an Energy Futures Conference for the North Olympic Peninsula. Held on November 2-4, 2022, the conference was attended by more than 70 individuals representing local governments; Tribes; utilities; subject matter experts from PNNL, the University of Washington Clean Energy Institute and Washington State University; economic development agencies and nonprofit organizations; federal, state and private funders; and the private sector. The conference resulted in a number of collaborations and projects with more being planned. Sponsors of the event included the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Battelle, the Washington Department of Commerce, Clallam PUD, Jefferson PUD, the City of Port Angeles, the City of Sequim, and Clallam County.


The agenda from the conference can be found here: North Olympic Peninsula Energy Futures Conference


Energy Futures Conference Overview

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Other Articles:

Marine Renewable Energy

By Amy Nash • 17 May, 2023
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will explore the feasibility of Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) to increase grid resilience on the North Olympic Peninsula. As a partner on the project, NODC will build on previous regional planning processes for climate change adaptation, natural disaster resilience and energy to develop and lead a multi-criteria decision-making approach to engage communities and Tribes across the Peninsula in the project to identify needs and define important project metrics.

Regional Climate Action Planning for the North Olympic Peninsula

By Amy Nash • 09 Dec, 2021
In late 2020, NODC was awarded funding through the Puget Sound Partnership from the EPA's National Estuary Program for Phase 2: Municipal Level Climate Action Planning for the North Olympic Peninsula.

Broadband Initiative

By Pam Wennerberg • 30 Mar, 2021
NODC’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) 2016-2020 for the North Olympic Peninsula identified expansion of broadband access as critical to economic development in the region . While urban areas of the United States enjoy broadband speeds of up to 1 GB, geographically isolated and economically disadvantaged rural areas like the North Olympic Peninsula are being left behind. Large areas of the North Olympic Peninsula lack access to even minimum broadband speeds of 25 mbps. This makes it nearly impossible for students to use the internet for schoolwork, for employees to telework, or for farmers and small businesses to use new technologies and develop online marketing. Lack of access is particularly common in the sparsely populated, geographically rugged west end of the Olympic Peninsula. Surprisingly, though, even areas near or within the city limits of the Peninsula’s major towns can lack access. Attempts to address the situation have been challenged by the high costs of infrastructure in our rugged rural terrain and the need for a coordinated, collaborative and sustained effort. In March 2019, NODC worked with partners to present a two day regional broadband symposium that brought together local governments, tribes, Public Utility Districts, ports, internet service providers, funders, industry experts and the general public. Attended by 120 people, the symposium resulted in the formation of Broadband Action Teams in Jefferson County, Sequim, Port Angeles and greater Clallam County.
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