When Washington lawmakers approved a set of incentives in 2005 for producing electricity from the solar power, they hoped to encourage residents to install solar panels and recruit businesses to build them in the Evergreen State.

Four years later, we are seeing slow, but steady and growing progress.

Under the state's incentive program, anyone who installs a solar panel and a meter that records its production gets a double payoff. First, the electricity it produces lowers the amount you need to buy from your utility. Then, you also earn at least 12 cents for every kilowatt-hour of energy the panel generates.

It’s a generous incentive.

The minimum production incentive alone is nearly double what my employer, Seattle City Light, charges its residential customers. Combined with the savings from not needing to buy that electricity, the minimum payback is about 18 cents per kilowatt-hour.

But wait, it gets even better and THIS SPACE is here to tell you why. More...

I just returned to Seattle from the Mediterranean, where I was pursuing the conservation of some personal energy.

Besides catching up on some rest, relaxation and the relics of the ancient world, I was impressed to see the extensive use of solar energy that is taking place in southern Europe and Egypt. Whether in the Spanish countryside near Barcelona, the urban center of Athens or the road to Giza, I kept spotting solar panels on rooftops, so I’m using THIS SPACE to share that experience. More...

In my job for Seattle City Light I attend a lot of community events to share the same energy conservation message THIS SPACE is dedicated to: simple steps can cut your electricity use and keep a few extra bucks in your pocket.

One of the best and easiest options is to switch from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs. They use about a third of the electricity and last up to 10 years, which can save as much as $33 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. More...

Seattle City Light is taking conservation to an even higher level. A five-year Conservation Action Plan unveiled recently by Mayor Greg Nickels outlines the utility’s strategy to more than double the community’s current savings. To achieve this goal, the utility is investing $185 million in 31 conservation programs. That's seven times the national average for conservation spending on a per capita basis. Read more. More...

A man does not plant a tree for himself,  he plants it for posterity. - Alexander Smith

With little effort and zero fancy equipment, I’ve reduced my average water consumption by three percent. Long, hot days of summer have slowed me down and drained ME of energy, but not the weeds. The weeds are running riot and lustily propagating faster than I can eliminate them. I am mostly watering only the plants which I planted this spring and summer, plus my tomatoes, the containers, and of course the hydrangeas. More...

Electronic gadgets fill our days. At work, I typically carry a pager, a work cell phone and my personal cell phone. And at some point all those devices need to be charged.

Obviously, that uses electricity. What many of us don’t recognize that once our favorite devices are done charging and we unplug them for use, the charger is still drawing electricity from the wall socket. Electricity is being thrown away, just like a leaky faucet wastes water. More...

On Earth Day, the Seattle Mariners are set to host the first carbon-neutral baseball game in major league history.

The Mariners are working with (shameless plug) my employer --Seattle City Light-- and the utility’s Green Up program to power Safeco Field with wind energy all day April 22. Additionally, the team is purchasing carbon offsets for all its travel and operations that day while also promoting waste reduction and recycling. More...

The dark of night has an incredible impact on humans. It limits our vision and heightens our sense of vulnerability. Neighborhoods that are friendly, bustling or eclectic during the day become vacant no-walk zones after sundown. More...

The dark of night has an incredible impact on humans. It limits our vision and heightens our sense of vulnerability. Neighborhoods that are friendly, bustling or eclectic during the day become vacant no-walk zones after sundown. More...