Our Community Action Council – Lewis, Mason, Thurston County local weatherization agency was awarded $700,000 in its second three-year grant from the Community Weatherization Fund to provide low-income weatherization in Lewis and South Thurston counties. The competitive grant is part of a $55 million package of transition assistance to the Centralia area to help in the transition to the closing of the TransAlta coal plant. Read the TransAlta press release and…
Author Archives: Rachel Lucas
Gov. Inslee has recognized the work of the Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program for the past 39 years in Washington State with an Oct. 30 proclamation of Weatherization Day 2018. New innovations and program expansions were made this year including: Weatherization Plus Health was expanded to include 15 local agencies around the state with plans for service to 220 households. Home Rehabilitation Loan Program was created to provide low-income rural residents…
Bob Kirchmeier and others helped move the first dirt at the Snohomish PUD’s groundbreaking for the Arlington Microgrid and Clean Energy Technology Center Project. This is a Clean Energy Fund project which represents a new technology and approach offering grid resiliency and renewable energy integration. The project will include a 500-kilowatt solar array with smart inverters, a 1,000 kW/1,000 kWh lithium-ion battery storage system and several vehicle-to-grid charging stations for use…
The State Efficiency and Environmental Performance (SEEP) program is moving forward with the hiring of Hanna Waterstrat as Assistant Director of the program. Hanna has been the Staff Services Manager at the Department of Ecology for the last four years, where she led agency participation with the SEEP Executive Order and provided guidance on environmental performance, including oversight of greenhouse gas reporting for Ecology operations statewide. Hanna was sometimes referred…
The Energy Research, Development and Demonstration Grants pre-application period is closed. Due to the large volume of applications, there will be a delay in notifications for Phase Two. The full application period will be delayed. Updates will be posted on the webpage. The Grid Modernization Program will be accepting concept applications starting Sept.17. A bidders conference call will be Sept. 19. You must submit an application to be considered for…
This 504 kW community solar array has been installed in the San Juan Islands on Decatur Island and co-located with a recently modernized substation where the primary submarine cables from the mainland terminate. With assistance from a Clean Energy Fund grant, Orcas Power and Light Cooperative (OPALCO) will be procuring additional services and assets to be located at the Decatur Island Substation. It will include a 500 kW/2.0 MWh energy storage…
We will open the Solar Deployment Program grant application period next week. It will be open to Washington-based entities developing solar generating projects. The program has $1,552,000 in state funds and $2,328,000 from U.S. Department of Energy American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, which will be competitively awarded. Priorities will be given to: Distribution side projects Projects capable of generating at least 500 kilowatts of direct current generating capacity applicants…
Brooke Harris is our new Housing Improvements and Preservation Innovation and Program Development Manager. She has more than 20 years’ experience administering housing rehabilitation programs for local governments. Brooke developed a housing program for the city of San Ramon, California that won national recognition as a best practice model and a state award for promoting social equity and environmental justice. Brooke contracted with Neighborhood Works as a reviewer evaluating and…
The Energy Division’s, Energy Contracts and Programs (ECAP) Unit anticipates opening the Energy Efficiency and Solar Grants application period by the end of August. The application period will be open for a minimum of six weeks. A bidder’s conference will be announced and held as a webinar. As we receive questions, we will publish and update a Frequently Asked Questions document. For more information on the grants, please visit: https://www.commerce.wa.gov/growing-the-economy/energy/energy-efficiency-and-solar-grants/
Commerce has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity for eligible Energy Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) projects under the Clean Energy Fund program. Applicant’s must be Washington-based entities seeking funds for clean energy projects. Initial applications are due on Aug. 31, 2018. All documents can be found on the Energy RD&D webpage at https://www.commerce.wa.gov/growing-the-economy/energy/clean-energy-fund/energy-rdd-clean-energy-fund/