Washington’s R-52 Voters Have a Choice

Mail in ballots are due (postmarked) on November 2nd and Washington State has a number of close races and a bevy of citizen’s initiatives – and one legislatively inspired referendum. Referendum 52 would provide $505 million of bond revenue for grants to public K-12 schools, colleges, and universities for investment in energy efficiency projects. No state has dared to be so ambitious with such an aggressive targeted energy efficiency investment strategy. The effort would reward the state with thousands of new construction jobs and cost effective energy savings in literally every corner of the state. R-52 was the top legislative priority of NEEC in the 2010 Washington Legislature and the focus of NEEC work through the Fall in close coordination with the professional campaign staff for Healthy Schools for Washington. NEEC encourages all of the energy efficiency industry to not just vote Yes for R-52 but use your business and personal networks to encourage others to do the same. The majority of ballots have not yet been mailed. There is still time to help ensure that R-52 is successful.