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Tuesday, August 2, 2005
Energy audit of Seattle City Hall sought
Electrical costs raise concern
Seattle City Council members Jean Godden and Tom Rasmussen are calling for an energy audit of City Hall after a Seattle Post-Intelligencer article revealed that the new, smaller building uses considerably more electricity than the 1960s-era structure it replaced.
They have asked Mayor Greg Nickels to take advantage of the federal Energy Star Buildings Partnership Program to find ways to further reduce energy consumption at City Hall.
"It is free," Godden said of the Environmental Protection Agency program.
"We want City Hall as efficient as possible," Godden said, sitting in her darkened office. "Every little bit helps."
Godden is chairwoman of the council's Energy and Environmental Policy committee.
A review of electrical bills for City Hall show that the new building uses 15 percent to 50 percent more power in some months than the older, larger building it replaced did.
Last week, city officials said the new building is completely different from the one it replaced and serves a different purpose.
It also has an expanded television studio and special ventilation systems for preserving city records.
"We need to find out what was promised and what we are getting," Rasmussen said.
The EPA program focuses on conservation and energy saving devices as well as on other factors to determine if a building is conserving energy.
"Once the energy and utility audits are completed, if we find more energy savings can be made, we'll take whatever steps are necessary to ensure City Hall is performing as expected," Godden said.
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