PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION- ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE 
Energy Production Subcommittee Recommendation 
ENERGY PRODUCTION PROJECT EVALUATION FRAMEWORK 
The Energy Production Subcommittee of the Port of Seattle (Port) Commission Committee on Energy and
Sustainability has developed this Energy Project Evaluation Framework, as a recommendation to assist the Port of
Seattle in two goals. The first goal is advancing energy and sustainability initiatives. The second goal is reducing
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing the resilience of its energy systems.
This framework is in addition to any current evaluation criteria, like return on investment or total cost of ownership. 

1.   Reduce GHG Emissions & Increase Energy System Resilience 
a.   Outcomes: 
Reduce emissions over which the Port has direct control (add target) 
Reduce emissions associated with Port activities (e.g. freight movement, tenant energy use, etc.) 
Increase reliance on renewable energy sources (do you have a target?) 
Increase use of distributed energy systems to foster resilience to natural and human-made
disasters 
b.   Evaluation Criteria: 
GHG emissions reduced 
Renewable or waste by-product 
Distributed 
Cost per ton of GHGs reduced 
Cost per unit of energy purchased 
Reliability 
2.   Protect Public Health & the Environment 
a.   Outcomes: 
Protect and improve local air and water quality 
Reduce environmental & safety impacts from the lifecycle of fuels 
Preserve and restore natural system function 
Reduce noise pollution 
Reduce light pollution 
b.   Evaluation Criteria: 
Hazard analysis for human and environmental impacts: TBD- Toxicity, flammability, noise and
light pollution etc. from production, transport, storage, and use perspectives (include
considerations such as proximity to residential areas etc.) 
Opportunity to preserve or restore wildlife habitat or employ a natural systems solution (e.g.
green infrastructure) 
3.   Support local economic development 
a.   Outcomes: 
Support local family wage jobs 
Support local businesses 
Support local clean tech development (define local) 
Meet tenant needs 
b.   Evaluation Criteria: 
TBD- The criteria should be informed by local economic experts 

Presented February 28, 2017                    1

PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION- ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE 
Energy Production Subcommittee Recommendation 
ENERGY PRODUCTION PROJECT EVALUATION FRAMEWORK 
4.   Advance Race & Social Justice 
a.   Outcomes The Energy Production subcommittee recognizes the opportunities to be gained when a race
and social equity is prioritized in sustainability policy development. We believe outcomes and criteria
should be developed by local communities of color, low income residents, immigrants, and refugees, and
those otherwise disproportionately affected by Port operations and/or underrepresented in Port decision
making processes: 
Foster strong long-term relationships and trust 
Ensure an equitable distribution of benefits and burdens 
Engage, support and align with existing community priorities 
Support workforce development and job creation 
Identify community resources and develop partnerships 
a.   Evaluation Criteria: 
Criteria should be developed through a community-driven process and address procedural,
distributional, structural, and transgenerational equity. 
5.   Leverage Partnerships 
a.   Outcomes: 
Advance regional partnerships 
Shared benefits (i.e., lower costs with purchase power) 
Shared risk 
b.   Evaluation Criteria: 
Partnerships identified and developed 
Benefits realized 
Risks identified and mitigated 
6.   Advance Innovation 
a.   Outcomes: 
Advance new energy solutions 
Encourage entrepreneurship 
b.   Evaluation Criteria: 
TBD- The criteria should be informed by clean energy experts and experts should assist in reviewing
and updating the criteria frequently as clean tech is a rapidly advancing field. Experts may need to
review individual projects. 

The Energy Production Subcommittee of the Port of Seattle (Port) Commission Committee on Energy and
Sustainability recommends the Port further develop this framework and incorporate these considerations into its
decision-making processes when evaluating energy sources and projects for Port operations. 



Presented February 28, 2017                    2