In 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a $7 billion grant program to establish regional Hydrogen Hubs across the country. In response, Governor Inslee directed Commerce to coordinate the formation of public-private partnership to build on existing momentum in the Pacific Northwest for green hydrogen development and pitch a regional hub. This led to the establishment of the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association (PNWH2), which is chaired by Commerce’s Assistant…
In the past two years, there has been substantial movement at the federal level to accelerate and promote hydrogen and renewable fuels development. Both the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021 and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 established multi-billion dollar investments into renewable fuel initiatives in the form of grants, tax incentives, and other support. The Washington Department of Commerce has taken every available opportunity to participate…
In March 2023, Commerce announced $970,000 in Clean Energy Fund grants to five projects that will support electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the state. Eligible applicants for this first round of current funding through the Electrification of Transportation Systems program were local governments, federally recognized tribal governments, small utilities and state agencies. Commerce initially received 23 applications in a two-phase review process that resulted in the selection of these projects…
In accordance with Chapter 70A.535 RCW Transportation Fuel—Clean Fuels Program. Washington’s Clean Fuel Standard will cut statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 4.3 million metric tons a year by 2038 and stimulate economic development in low carbon fuel production. These goals are accomplished by requiring fuel suppliers to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels to 20% below 2017 levels by 2038. Fuel suppliers can achieve these reductions through methods…
OPALCO’s Battery Storage Project was funded in part by a $1 million Grid Modernization grant from Commerce’s Clean Energy Fund (CEF). The microgrid OPALCO built on Decatur Island includes a battery storage project paired with a Community Solar Array. The battery storage project is a one-megawatt, 2.6 MWh large-scale battery that can operate independently from the grid and power approximately 500 homes for up to 4 hours. The goals of…
Funded in part by a $3 million grant from the Washington State Clean Energy Fund, Energy Northwest has powered up its Horn Rapids Solar, Storage & Training Project in Richland. This project provides Washington state its first opportunity to integrate a utility-scale solar and storage facility. The facility combines solar generation with battery storage and technician training. The 20-acre project provides 4 megawatts of direct-current electricity — enough energy to…
Washington State has volunteered to be the pilot state for the Outage Data Initiative Nationwide (ODIN) program, an initiative led by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Currently, during power outage incidents, outage data from utilities is fragmented and poorly standardized. Many utilities choose to display outage information on their websites, while others only post updates to social media, and some do not share information…
Washington State University has released the Weatherization Workforce Roadmap for Washington state. The report describes the key workforce challenges facing Washington’s low-income weatherization program agency employers and subcontractors. The roadmap also offers potential solutions and actions that can enhance the availability, preparation and ongoing development of a skilled weatherization workforce in Washington state. Recent research shows that demand for energy efficiency-related employment, including weatherization, has greatly exceeded the availability of…
The Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) (SB 5116) was implemented in May 2019. It commits Washington to an electricity supply free of greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. CETA Rulemaking Commerce has submitted a Preproposal Statement of Inquiry (CR-101) to solicit public comments on CETA rulemaking. Rulemaking Workshop on August 22 Agenda, Webinar Option and Parking Information (pdf) Please RSVP: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RSVP0822 Two previous stakeholder workshops were hosted on July 30 and Aug. 1 to…
Appliance efficiency standards represent a cost-effective strategy to protect consumers and businesses, strengthening the state’s clean energy economy. Efficiency products save energy and water, reduce long-term operating costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Seventeen new products have been added to state standards. Rules Development Commerce has submitted a Preproposal Statement of Inquiry (CR-101) to solicit public comment on the appliance standards rulemaking before they begin a formal process. The existing rules, WAC 194-24,…