Last month, over 300 activists ventured to Washington’s capital to participate in the 17th annual Environmental Lobby Day. The impact of their efforts is now being revealed in Olympia.

The activists vied for legislators to approve specific bills that addressed four particular areas of concern in our state. The Environmental Priorities Coalition determined which bills they would focus on. A complete list is located here. 

Efficiency First was one of this year’s priorities. The Coalition accounts its importance to the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency. In order to meet this priority, the activists advocated for the approval of a legislative bill that would increase the demands of current energy codes and the disclosure of energy use, and make efficiency easier to achieve. A complete description of their perspective can be found here.

On March 10, the bill received an overwhelmingly approving vote. It was passed in both the Senate and the house, and a public hearing about energy efficiency and possible further action is scheduled for March 18.

The legislature agreed with the Coalition and the activists that, “energy efficiency is the cheapest, quickest, and cleanest way to meet rising energy needs, confront climate change, and boost our economy.” Therefore, the bill addresses many ways of utilizing this tool to progress our state. Everywhere from neighborhoods to buildings, efforts will be made to increase energy efficiency. Greater transparency of energy use will also be required by the bill to ensure that codes are met.

Before Lobby Day, the program’s spokesperson, Rein Attemann, told me that one of his most difficult tasks is convincing citizens that their representatives really want to hear from them.

Last month, the people spoke. Their representatives listened to what they had to say. Now, we are seeing the elected officials act on their behalf. What greater motivation could we need?

More information about environmental activism in Washington can be found on People for Puget Sound’s website.