By Lindsay Peyton 

Port Commission Fred Felleman has a reason to celebrate.

A motion he has been championing since he was first elected to Port’s governing board recently passed -- after two years of work. 

Commissioners unanimously approved the Energy and Sustainability Motion on Tuesday, Oct. 24.   

Now, the Port can move forward on more programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – and promote sustainability and renewable energy in all of its operations. 

Already, the Port is installing solar panels at Fisherman’s Terminal – and has planned to add solar energy to the roof of its Pier 69 building as part of its 2018 budget. 

The Energy and Sustainability Motion directs the Port of Seattle to develop an evaluation system to help meet goals for greenhouse gas reduction – and to increase the transparency of projects in the process.

The motion also allows the Port to select four environmental pilot projects, divided between airport and maritime operations. 

Ensuring the Port has resources to track reduction and implement sustainable programs is also part of the program. The Port will set aside $1 million in funding for these purposes. Three full-time employees will also be reserved.  

“Ultimately, it’s creating a framework we can use for any project in the future,” Felleman said. A Ballard resident, Felleman has spent the past 30 years working to conserve the Pacific Northwest’s marine environment. 

After completing his master’s degree at the University of Washington, he served as an environmental consultant to local and national marine conservation organizations, as well as to local and tribal governments.

Felleman joined the Washington State Ocean Policy Workgroup, the Washington State Maritime Commission, the Port’s Century Agenda Finance Committee, the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program Advisory Committee and the Puget Sound Harbor Safety Committee. 

He spent 15 years working with the Port of Seattle assuring cruise ships no longer discharge in the Puget Sound. 

Felleman decided to run for Port Commissioner to do more to protect the oceans. “I wanted to do something that’s impactful,” he said. “In Seattle, we have orcas in our backyard. It’s like no place in the world. That’s what motivates me.”

Once elected, Felleman started creating the framework for the Energy and Sustainability Motion right away.  “I had a draft for the first meeting,” he said. “It was day one.”

In January 2016, the Port created its Energy and Sustainability Committee -- co-chaired by Felleman and Commissioner Courtney Gregoire.

“The first thing we did was align our greenhouse emission reduction goals with the city and county,” Felleman said. “The more we could be in lockstep with our brethren, the better.”

Meeting with stakeholders in the community was another important step forward, he added.

By April 2017, the motion was created, and Felleman said commissioners have supported the effort all the way. Felleman believes the Port could lead efforts to combat climate change. “The Port is huge,” he said. “Even a small reduction can have quantifiable impacts.”

The Port of Seattle has set a goal to be the greenest, most energy efficient port in the U.S.“All goals are a challenges; you might as well pick a big one,” Felleman said. “Success is contagious. If you apply yourself and get something done, then it’s all about what else you can do. It encourages you to do more.”

Vlad Gutman-Britten, Washington Director of Climate Solutions, said this type of policy puts the Port of Seattle on a path towards environmental leadership. 

“The Port has a huge reach,” he said. “It touches so much in the state. For them to accept responsibility and make the work they do in line with emission reduction goals is so important. It can send ripples everywhere.”

Gutman-Britten added that this attention to sustainability issues benefits residents throughout the region – on a number of levels. “A prosperous economy is a sustainable one,” he said.