Some Hockinson residents may know that the Hockinson School District has participated in Clark Public Utilities' Strategic Energy Management (SEM) program since 2020 to become more energy efficient and lower costs. What people may not know is that was the HSD that actually inspired a spinoff program for small businesses and organizations called "SEM Light."
When asked to describe SEM Light, HSD Superintendent Steve Marshall responded: "I know this is a little bit of a departure from the question, but I have to begin by giving a lot of credit to Clark Public Utilities. The word 'partnership' is used a lot, but Clark Public Utilities have been true partners in our efforts to reduce electricity and cost. First, they've connected us with grants, incentives, and rebates - all of which have led to significant energy savings and dividends. Second, when we informed them that we just didn't have the capacity to participate in SEM, they didn't just wish us well. They instead scaled down the program to reduce the costs of being involved, mainly personnel and time, and maximize the benefits of greater efficiency."
Our district's recent retrofit of fluorescent and incandescent lamps is a great case-in-point of the double-benefit of staying involved in the SEM Light program. Over the past three years, HSD Operations Supervisor Dave Wilson estimates he has replaced nearly 3,000 bulbs with LED lamps. These replacements lower the wattage needed as well as the electricity and cost of illuminating district facilities. The replacement lamps also qualified for an ever-increasing rebate. In 2022 that per-lamp rebate started at $1. It then increased to $5. Finally, in 2025 it topped out at $7. (The cost of new LED lamps (that replaced fluorescent tubes) during this was approximately $8!) Fortunately for the HSD, the rebate was not applied until the end of the retrofit!
So this Clark Public Utilities program not only covered nearly all of the cost of swapping out lower efficiency lamps, it put us on a path to changing over all buildings in the HSD to LED. As a result, our campuses consume less electricity and they cost less to operate - all benefits that the HSD and taxpayers will continue to enjoy moving forward. That is why we feel that continuing this energy partnership was a very bright idea!