Letter: 2 steps forward, one step back

Gratitude for the subtle detail and charm of Richland grows as I get to know this city. Long walks along the river, bike lanes along Jadwin, and the ability to walk freely from Parkway to Van Giesen through parks, parking lots and the Uptown without bumping into property line fences, which would force me to walk along GW Way. Providing pedestrian paths and bike-friendly streets promotes a healthy and sustainable city.

Speaking of sustainability, I was disappointed to learn that Richland Energy Services recently suspended their net metering program for customers interested in going solar. Without net metering or a similar arrangement for exchange of energy, it makes going solar highly undesirable and will negatively impact local solar businesses.

I urge folks to contact your state representatives and ask them to increase the state’s net metering cap to bring net metering back to Richland.

And I encourage residents to vote YES on I-1631 in November, an initiative that prices carbon on some of the state’s biggest emitters and reinvests those fees collected into clean energy and jobs. This comes at a dire time as the state’s renewable energy system incentive program will end early next year.