Ellie Daneshnia, executive director of Capital Planning & Construction, received Puget Sound Energy’s 2026 award for the largest natural gas savings in its Commercial Stategic Energy Management program. The Biggest Saver – Gas Award recognizes Ellie’s leadership in helping to reduce natural gas usage.
Highline avoided $120,000 in natural gas costs in 2024-25 through 9.4% reduced consumption. Electricity savings helped avoid another $61,000 in costs.
Ellie is working with PSE and McKinstry to track energy use in buildings, improve HVAC systems, and align systems with operating schedules.
“We’ve been recommissioning many of our mechanical and electrical systems to optimize performance,” Ellie says. “In addition, some older steam boilers, powered with electricity, have been replaced with natural gas boilers, which are much more efficient.”
Some of Highline’s ongoing efforts in response to the Washington State Clean Energy Act played a part in a second-place award from PSE for reducing electrical usage, such as systematically replacing fluorescent lighting in older buildings with energy-efficient LED bulbs.