Bellingham Climate Action Research

There’s a high cost to inaction.

Using the social cost of carbon—which accounts for damages to health, agriculture, infrastructure, ecosystems, and more—the estimated cost of Bellingham’s cumulative emissions by 2050 could reach nearly $1.7 billion. However, by leveraging existing policies, the City could reduce those damages by over 40%, to $718 million. Taking the bold climate action identified in the low carbon scenario could lower that number even further to $572 million—or about $19 million per year—highlighting both the economic and social value of early, ambitious action.

The future of energy is distributed.

Distributed energy resources (DERs)—like rooftop solar, battery storage, and community-owned projects—offer Bellingham a powerful opportunity to increase energy resilience, reduce emissions, lower energy bills, and drive local economic growth. These technologies generate electricity close to where it’s used, easing pressure on the grid, lowering infrastructure costs, and providing backup during outages. SSG’s ScenaHourly analysis found that by installing 64 MW of rooftop solar and 8 MW of battery storage by 2030, the community can ensure it meets its emission reduction and renewable energy goals while saving $105 million between 2023 and 2050.

An inspired EV and E-Bike revolution.

Bellingham has ambitious goals to shift transportation modes from driving alone to transit, walking, and biking, including e-biking. One in five trips in Bellingham are for a distance of less than one mile, and most are under four miles. E-bikes, car sharing, and improved transit will help reduce the number of cars per household. Additionally, 7.200 new publicly accessible EV chargers by 2040 will support the transition to EVs. Switching to more sustainable transportation options will decrease vehicle fueling and maintenance costs, while also reducing car dependency and spending need for car purchases, saving Bellingham residents a total of $2.8 billion between 2023 and 2050.