Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Seattle City Light Biomass Project Records, 1978-1985
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Seattle City Light
- Title
- Seattle City Light Biomass Project Records
- Dates
- 1978-1985 (inclusive)19781985
- Quantity
- .4 cubic foot, (one box)
- Collection Number
- 1206-06
- Summary
- Records regarding a research project for generating electricity
- Repository
-
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov - Access Restrictions
-
Records are open to the public.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for processing this record series was provided through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
City Light provides electricity and electrical and conservation services to its public and private customers. It is the largest public utility in the Pacific Northwest. Public responsibility for electrical energy dates to 1890 with creation of the Department of Lighting and Water Works. In 1902, Seattle voters passed a bond issue to develop hydroelectric power on the Cedar River under the administration of the Water Department. Electricity from this development began to serve Seattle in 1905. A City Charter amendment in 1910 created the Lighting Department. Under the leadership of Superintendent James D. Ross, the department developed the Skagit River hydroelectric project which began supplying power in 1924. Both public and private power was supplied to Seattle until 1951 when the City purchased the private electrical power supply operations, making the Lighting Department the sole supplier. The Boundary Project in northeastern Washington began operations in 1967 and supplied over half of City Light's power generation. By the early 21st century, approximately ten percent of City Light's income came from the sale of surplus energy to customers in the Northwest and Southwest with the remainder of City Light's financial support coming from customer revenue. The current name of the agency was adopted in 1978 when the Department was reorganized.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Records of a US Department of Energy-funded research project to determine the feasibility of growing trees for the purpose of fueling power plants. Seattle City Light subcontracted with the University of Washington College of Forest Resources to conduct research on the cultivation of selected tree species. Records include grant and contract documents, correspondence regarding requests for documents by UW Professor, George McFadden, and travel logs, including trip reports.
Files regarding a biomass promotional video may be found in City Light Video Program Records (record series 1201-13)
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[Item and date], Seattle City Light Biomass Project Records , Record Series 1206-06. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
1206-06: Biomass Project Records , 1978-1985Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | McFadden, George (University
of Washington Faculty) |
1984-1985 |
1/2 | McFadden, George (University
of Washington Faculty) |
1984 |
1/3 | Grant and
Contracts |
1978-1984 |
1/4 | University of Washington
Contract |
1980-1982 |
1/5 | Biomass Travel
Logs |
1978-1980 |
1/6 | Biomass Travel
Logs |
1981-1982 |
1/7 | Biomass Travel
Logs |
1983 |
1/8 | Biomass Travel
Logs |
1984 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Forest biomass--Washington (State)
- Power resources Research--Washington--Seattle
Personal Names
- Dolan, Linda Sutliff
- McFadden, George William
Corporate Names
- Seattle City Light
Geographical Names
- Seattle (Wash.)