A 2021 Washington Child Care Collaborative Task Force report estimated that 63% of Washington children live in areas with inadequate child care, reducing our state’s workforce by 133,000 people. These areas are considered child care deserts. Skamania County is one of them. The Washington State Department of Commerce is working to address such disparities.
Author Archives: Becky Berg
The Office of Tribal Relations (OTR) was created June 2023 and consists of Michelle Gladstone-Wade (Suquamish), Tribal Liaison and Alden (AL) Andy (Yakama), Deputy Tribal Liaison. To demonstrate our agency’s dedication to tribal relations, Director Fong has separated the Tribal Liaison from the Government Affairs and Policy team and created the Office of Tribal Relations. The first addition to the Office of Tribal Relation is a Deputy Tribal Liaison who…
The Washington State Department of Commerce will conduct a virtual public hearing to receive comments on the Draft 2023 United States Department of Energy/Washington State Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Plan. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. The hearing will be held Tuesday, May 2, 2023, 9:00am – 10:00am Pacific Standard Time (PST). Join the May 2, 2023 Virtual Public Hearing (on Microsoft Teams) Please take a moment to review the…
Grant applications for the 2023 Solar plus Storage for Resilient Communities program with up to $35.4 million available were due March 23, 2023. The opportunity includes two tracks: Track 1: Planning and Predevelopment grants will be awarded to projects that identify sites, complete community outreach and engagement to identify community needs, complete feasibility studies, or develop cost estimates, specifications, or other early design work. Track 2: Installation grants will be…
Commerce is asking building owners to participate in the rulemaking process for the state’s expanded Clean Buildings Performance Standard. The expansion applies to buildings between 20,000 and 50,000 square feet, adding a new second tier that includes multi-family buildings. We are hosting a series of workshops to establish rules, reporting requirements and the financial incentive program for Tier 2 buildings. Dates and topics may be subject to change and are…
The Clean Transportation program has issued an RFP and is now reviewing consultants to assist in launching the Electric Vehicle Community Charging Infrastructure grant program. Washington is a top EV market, ranking second in the nation with electric vehicle adoption and universal access to charging infrastructure is crucial for accelerating the pace of consumer adoption. Through this RFP, Commerce seeks to create an equitable, community-engaged process that produces environmentally just…
The Public Works Board’s April Monthly Meeting is April 7, 2023 from 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM. This meeting will be held online via Zoom. Members of the public are invited to attend. Join the Zoom meeting.
The Public Works Board will hold a Special Meeting on March 24, 2023 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM. The meeting will be held online via Zoom. Members of the public are invited to attend.
Are you curious about the work of the Washington State Public Works Board? Check out this video to find out exactly what we do and how we do it!
Public Hearing Meeting Information Attend: February 22, 2023 Grid Formula Funding Grant – Public Comment Webinar (on Zoom) Time: Feb 22, 2023 01:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Public Comments due by March 7, 2023; 11:59 P.M., PST Email comments to Deborah.Witmer@commerce.wa.gov. 1. Criteria A. Eligible Entities Eligible entities for subawards from Washington State Department of Commerce under this Program include: Electric grid operators Electricity storage operators Electricity generators…