I want to thank Project Porchlight and PSE for coming to Oak Harbor with hundreds of free compact florescent light bulbs this month. And thanks to the dozens of light-hearted local volunteers who went door to door giving these bulbs away.

We were well received when we told residents they could save up to $40 per bulb over the life of the bulb and they could get 10 more free bulbs by swapping old incandescent bulbs for new CFLs at the Rock the Bulb event at Ace Hardware on Aug. 29 and 30.

Thanks to the volunteers who have committed to help out with that event. There’s still time to plug in and shine a little light in our community. Join me for the last door to door distribution starting at Smith Park on Thursday, Aug. 27 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sara at Project Porchlight said, “We’ve seen an absolutely astounding effort in your community.” Call Sara at 360-404-2070 to sign-up. Now let’s rally for one more CFL door to door giveaway. Something as simple as changing a light bulb can make a difference. Changing thousands of bulbs makes an enormous difference in our energy use and our carbon footprint.

I also want to thank all those who have signed up for Green Power through Puget Sound Energy this summer. You’re helping us meet our Green Power Challenge by getting 1,000 Green Power customers on Whidbey Island before Labor Day. If we reach our goal PSE will give us $25,000 for a renewable energy project on Whidbey. At last count we had over 830 customers signed up including Oak Harbor’s UPS Store and Deception Pass State Park. The city of Oak Harbor bought 1 million kilowatts of Green Power. For just a few dollars a month, you could too.

Thanks for helping us achieve great success with your energetic response!

Maribeth Crandell

Environmental Educator

City of Oak Harbor