The Green Diesel Pilot Project has received the 2024 Best-Run Government (BRG) Innovation Award for Climate and Environmental Stewardship. Congratulations to the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP), Solid Waste Division (SWD), Green Diesel Pilot Project team, and all their partners for their commitment to Best-Run Government. A special thank you to Jamey Barker, Scott Barden, James Gentili, and Anthony Slaughter.

The Innovation Award for Climate and Environmental Stewardship recognizes workgroups and teams that have made progress in advancing the goals of King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan and/or protecting and restoring clean water and health habitat. “The Solid Waste Division’s Operations employees came together to promote and test alternatives to conventional diesel, helping the division meet its alternative fuel usage goals, and reducing greenhouse emission by 60 percent,” says Jamey Barker, Supervising Engineer.

The Green Diesel Pilot Project tested the use of renewable green diesel in SWD vehicles and proved that it is a viable alternative to conventional diesel. As a result, SWD is now using green diesel in place of conventional diesel – helping to reduce greenhouse emissions and improve air quality in communities near Solid Waste facilities and along equipment travel routes.

Marissa Aho, Director of King County’s Executive Climate Office, presented the BRG Innovation Award for Climate and Environmental Stewardship to the Green Diesel Pilot Project. “The pilot is a win in so many ways,” says Aho. “The project reduced emissions in a way that’s equivalent to taking more than 1500 passenger vehicles off the road. There was strong coordination with partners and buy-in from people who were initially skeptical, and the project made changes easy for drivers and mechanics to adopt.”

“Congratulations to the Green Diesel Pilot Project team,” says DNRP Director John Taylor. “The project strongly reflects King County’s True North and values of solving problems, being responsible stewards, and – quite literally – driving for results with SWD vehicles. I’m impressed by the team’s commitment to tracking data to show real impact.”

“In terms of we are responsible stewards, I’m so proud of the valuable example that the Green Diesel Pilot Project has set for other government agencies and national organizations,” says SWD Director Rebecca Singer. “It could be duplicated within other communities and make a significant difference quickly.”

Congratulations again to the Green Diesel Pilot Project! Look for more updates on the project’s successes.

To learn more about the BRG Awards and to watch a video presentation that introduces all the 2024 award recipients, visit the Best-Run Government Awards webpage.