HB 1114, sponsored by Rep. Mary Dye (R–Pomeroy), encourages electric utilities to address urban heat islands.
Urban heat islands are urbanized areas that experience higher temperatures than outlying areas, largely due to density of buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. Such structures absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes,
such as forests and water bodies. During the day, heat islands can reach up to seven degrees Fahrenheit higher than those of surrounding areas; at night, temperatures fluctuate between two and five degrees higher than surrounding areas.
Many utilities are already encouraged to provide information to customers regarding landscaping to reduce energy consumption. Electric utilities may request voluntary donations from their retail electric customers to promote urban forestry and energy
conservation.
HB 1114 encourages customer-owned electric utilities (including municipal electric utilities and PUDs) to include the following goals in an energy conservation program:
- Reduce the peak-load demand for electricity in residential and commercial business areas during the summer months through direct shading of buildings provided by strategically planted trees.
- Reduce wintertime demand for energy in residential areas by blocking cold winds, which lower interior temperatures and drive heating demand, from reaching homes.
- Protect public health by removing harmful pollution from the air and prioritize communities with environmental health disparities.
- Use the natural photosynthetic and transpiration process of trees to lower ambient temperatures and absorb carbon dioxide.
- Lower electric bills for residential and commercial business ratepayers by limiting electricity consumption without reducing benefits.
- Relieve financial and demand pressure on the utility that stems from large peak-load electricity demand.
- Protect water quality and public health by reducing and cooling stormwater runoff and keeping harmful pollutants from entering waterways, with special attention given to waterways vital for preserving threatened and endangered salmon.
- Ensure trees are planted in locations that limit the amount of public funding needed to maintain public and electric infrastructure.
- Measure program performance in terms of the estimated present value benefit per tree planted and equitable and accessible community engagement consistent with the EHD map and community engagement plan guidance in the Environmental Justice Task Force's
final report.
- Give special consideration to achieving environmental justice in goals and policies, avoid creating or worsening environmental health disparities, and make use of the EHD map to help guide engagement and actions.
- Coordinate with DNR's Urban and Community Forestry Program efforts to identify areas of need related to urban tree canopy and to provide technical assistance and capacity building to encourage urban tree canopy.
Cities anticipate the long-term effect of this legislation will improve the region’s air quality, reduce energy bills for historically disadvantaged communities, and reduce energy consumption for electric utilities.
Dates to remember
HB 1114 received public hearing in the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee on March 11 at 10:30 am; it is now scheduled for executive session in the Committee on March 16 at 10:30 am.