.png)
OLYMPIA – The Washington Senate voted last week to exempt the Selkirk School District and others like it from state energy code rules that could significantly increase the cost of school construction.
Senate Bill 5941, sponsored by Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, relaxes a renewable energy requirement for small school districts in cold regions of the state. Under state rules, new non-residential construction of more than 10,000 square feet must include a renewable energy system. But Selkirk officials complained that the rules put an unreasonable burden on the district, which serves about 260 students in Pend Oreille County, about 90 miles northeast of Spokane.
“This isn’t about doing away with the code,” Short said. “This is about allowing flexibility where it makes sense to do other things.”
In a hearing last month, Selkirk School District Superintendent Nancy Lotze told the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee that the mandate would add at least $100,000 to the cost of a $12 million project to rebuild aging school facilities.
She said solar panels, the least expensive option, would be insufficient to meet the district’s needs and would prove costly to maintain because of the distance to major population centers.
Short’s bill waives the rule for school districts serving up to 500 students in the coldest part of the state. State law defines that area as Climate Zone No. 1, covering most of Eastern Washington.
The bill passed the Senate 45-3 on Feb. 5 and has been referred to the House Local Government Committee for further consideration.
