Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
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Decarbonizing a Complex Public Agency Portfolio: From Regulatory Compliance to District-Wide Action
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Decarbonizing a Complex Public Agency Portfolio: From Regulatory Compliance to District-Wide Action Seattle Public Schools operates nearly 100 buildings totaling approximately 11 million square feet, managing assets ranging from century-old structures to high-performance facilities. With Washington State's Clean Buildings Performance Standard (CBPS), Seattle's Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS), and the district's own Clean Energy Resolution converging on overlapping compliance deadlines, the district faced projected exposure of up to $250 million in cumulative non-compliance penalties without intervention. This three-part series documents the district's decarbonization journey. Part 1 establishes the regulatory landscape through direct agency perspectives on CBPS and BEPS requirements, timelines, and compliance pathways. Part 2 presents the data-driven framework used to benchmark portfolio performance, develop decarbonization strategies, and prioritize capital investments. Part 3 describes how the district secured board approval and structured its capital program to meet all three protocols on an accelerated timeline. Session Presentations Part 1: Setting the Stage — Understanding the Regulatory Landscape This presentation establishes the foundation for the series by examining the performance standards shaping building owners: the Clean Buildings Performance Standard (CBPS) and Seattle's Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS). Presenters from the public agencies will provide an insider look at compliance frameworks, performance targets, timelines, and the most common stumbling blocks impacting building owners today. Part 2: Building the Framework — Data-Driven Compliance Planning Across a Large Portfolio Seattle Public Schools faces a formidable planning challenge: nearly 100 buildings spanning multiple eras of construction, three overlapping decarbonization mandates, and a capital funding program stretched across accelerating compliance deadlines. This session offers an inside look at how the district approached that challenge as a live, consequential planning effort with real financial stakes. Presenters will walk attendees through the district's experience integrating utility, asset, operational, and performance data into a unified framework that established a defensible portfolio baseline and surfaced a clear compliance picture across a large and diverse building stock. With implementation now underway, district representatives will reflect on the decisions that shaped the planning process, the tradeoffs encountered, and what the data revealed about the portfolio's trajectory under current conditions. Attendees will leave with a replicable methodology and an honest account of what large-scale compliance planning looks like from the owner's seat. Part 3: Taking Action — Securing Approval and Navigating the Path Forward The final presentation moves from planning to execution. Without intervention, Seattle Public Schools projected exposure of up to $250 million in cumulative non-compliance penalties through 2050 — and a breach of its Clean Energy Resolution commitments. This session describes how the district advanced its initiative, secured stakeholder, board and voter approval, and positioned its capital funding program to meet three aggressive decarbonization protocols simultaneously. Presenters will share lessons learned from aligning urgency with institutional decision-making, managing a compressed compliance timeline, and building a credible, defensible path to fossil fuel-free operations by 2040. The session closes with practical guidance for other large public agency portfolios facing similar pressures. | ||