Update on OMB Memorandum M-25-13

1월 29, 20251월 29, 2025

Dear partners,

We have an update on the status federal funding from the Department of Commerce. There have been several, recent nationwide communications related to federal aid programs. On Monday, we learned of a freeze on certain federal aid programs. President Trump’s executive order freezing federal grant programs was blocked by a federal judge on Tuesday. This morning, the White House rescinded the freeze order (PDF).

Here is what we know to date: We can confirm the money is flowing again after the Trump administration rescinded the freeze. If you have federal funding from Commerce, please continue your programs and services as usual. We will reach out if there are future actions or orders that impact your programs.

For those who have state funding from Commerce, while there have been Executive Orders that are creating questions and uncertainty about programs—especially those related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and access—there is no current impact to state-funded programs. Commerce affirms our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and will continue to embody these principles in our work both internally with staff and externally with our valued partners and stakeholders.

Our commitment to you is to share news and updates as soon as we receive new information. The work you do in communities across Washington is incredibly important. We value your partnership, your interest, and your engagement with our programs.

If you have any further questions, please reach out to your contract manager or your point of contact at Commerce. You can also use our communications email address, Communications@Commerce.wa.gov and we will route your question to the appropriate person.

December 2024 transportation electrification open funding opportunities

12월 30, 202412월 30, 2024

US DOE – Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program

Qualifying applicants: Manufacturers of advanced technology vehicles that achieve defined fuel economy targets as well as producers of components or materials that enhance the fuel economy performance of eligible vehicles.
Qualifying projects: Must 1) manufacture eligible vehicles or components that are used in eligible vehicles, 2) build new facilities; reequip, modernize or expand existing facilities; and/or support engineering integration performed in the U.S. related to the manufacturing of eligible vehicles or components, 3) be located in the U.S., and 4) provide a reasonable prospect of repayment.
Total funding amount: $10 billion.
Application due date: Rolling applications.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) – Clean Bus Planning Award

Qualifying applicants: State and local government entities providing bus service; private school fleets with an active contractual agreement to serve a public school district; nonprofit school transportation associations; tribes, tribal organizations, or tribally controlled schools responsible for the purchase of school buses or providing school bus service for a BIA funded school; direct or designated recipients of FTA grants, including state and local governmental authorities, and tribes.
Award goals: Connect transit and school bus fleets with technical experts to support planning for bus electrification.
Assistance provided: Existing fleet baseline analysis, vehicle electrification feasibility analysis, infrastructure assessment and optimization strategy, procurement and project staging, financial analysis, emissions modeling, stakeholder analysis, workforce considerations, and recommended next steps.
Application due date: Rolling applications.

U.S. EPA – Clean School Bus Program Rebates

Qualifying applicants: Public school districts, tribal applicants, and third parties.
Qualifying projects: Rebates to replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models.
Total funding amount: $965 million.
Application due date: Jan. 9, 2024, by 4 p.m. EST.

WSDOT: National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI)

Qualifying applicants: Contractor(s) who can help with the acquisition, installation and operation, and maintenance of the publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure.
Qualifying projects: NEVI-compliant charging stations along the identified corridors.
Total funding amount: $25 million.
Application due date: Jan. 15, 2025.

U.S. SCEP – Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program

Qualifying applicants: Tribal governments.
Qualifying projects: Reduce fossil-fuel emissions in an environmentally sustainable way while maximizing benefits for local and regional communities.
- Reduce the total energy use of eligible entities.
- Improve energy efficiency in the transportation sector, the building sector and other appropriate sectors.
- Build a clean and equitable energy economy that prioritizes overburdened communities and promotes equity and inclusion in workforce opportunities and deployment activities, including programs for financing zero-emission transportation (and associated infrastructure).
Total funding amount: $430 million.
Application due date: May 31, 2025.

Commerce awards $3 million to boost housing production pipeline

10월 7, 202410월 30, 2024

Grants will help accelerate the approval of local residential building permits.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Department of Commerce today announced $3 million for 16 cities and four counties across Washington to streamline local building permit review processes. The funding will help create digital permitting processes and consolidate permit reviews, reducing the time needed to process and approve residential building permits, moves that strengthens the state’s pipeline of new housing production.

“It will take solutions from all angles to address the projected need for more than a million new housing units in communities across Washington over the next 20 years,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong. “These grants will help modernize and streamline the way residential building permits are processed, reducing delays, cutting down on paperwork and helping us meet that urgent need for new housing.”

These investments are part of the 2023 Legislature’s year of housing, which included middle housing and updates to the Local Project Review Act, the statewide framework for local government land use planning review and development permitting. Two new Commerce grant programs resulted from these updates: consolidated permit review and paper to digital.

Consolidated Permit Review Grants support local governments as they streamline building permit review and remove barriers to housing development. Recipients commit to issuing final decisions on residential permit applications within 45 business days or 90 calendar days. Seven communities received permit review grants.

City of Airway Heights: $187,500
City of College Place: $170,500
City of Mukilteo: $100,000
City of Wapato: $89,219
Town of Yarrow Point: $187,500
Pierce County: $187,500
Skagit County: $187,500

Paper to Digital Grants supports cities and counties in transitioning from paper filing to digital systems for processing permit applications. This change makes it faster and easier to address housing shortages. Thirteen communities received Paper to Digital grants.

City of Anacortes: $197,335
City of Arlington: $183,000
City of Buckley: $80,000
City of Carnation: $100,000
City of La Center: $194,500
City of Lakewood: $240,000
City of Lynden: $140,000
City of Port Townsend: $60,000
City of Snoqualmie: $117,811
City of Spokane: $375,000
City of University Place: $30,000
Jefferson County: $94,000
Lewis County: $78,635

“We would like to express our appreciation for the grant award we recently received,” said Tami Palmquist, City of Spokane Development Services Center Director. “It arrived at a key moment as we just began the implementation of our new permitting and licensing system last month. We are thrilled to report that we were able to align the grant deliverables with the objectives already established in our project scope. This synergy not only enhances our implementation process but also reinforces our commitment to meeting the goals of both the grant and our project. We feel incredibly fortunate to have these two initiatives align so well, and we are eager to move forward with this important work

The awards announced today expend the available funding for these programs. Additional grants may become available if new funds are appropriated by the Washington State Legislature. For more information, visit the Local Project Review webpage.

Contact

Penny Thomas, Commerce Media Relations, 206-256-6106 | Mobile/text: 360-704-9489

Washington State Department of Commerce launches new, more accessible website

9월 30, 20249월 30, 2024

Language translation, improved search among features that streamline locating documents, funding opportunities and resources for users of Commerce.wa.gov.

OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce launched a new website this week to update and improve the experience for users of the site at Commerce.wa.gov. In addition to a fresh look, improved features include an enhanced search, enabling users to type the first few letters of what they’re looking for and the search engine will auto-fill several options. Effective search is crucial for any user-centered website, and especially for the broad scope of funding opportunities and resources Commerce provides to its diverse constituencies and communities.

Aligned with the department’s priority on equity, another high priority upgrade is language access, with translation now available for 10 languages. Currently, content is machine translated with a disclaimer to let users know. Department officials said machine translation is the most cost effective way to provide content in multiple languages for a website of this size. However, as work continues to improve the website, the department pledges that it will be identifying critical content that should be professionally translated.

Commerce’s mission is strengthening communities. We enhance and strengthen sustainable communities in Washington by working with local governments, businesses, community-based organizations and tribes throughout the state. The department’s diverse portfolio of more than 100 programs and strong public and private partnerships promote sustainable community and economic development to help all Washingtonians thrive. Commerce manages a budget of $7.9 billion through five divisions: Housing, Energy, Local Government, Economic Development and Competitiveness, and Community Services. Visit Commerce online at Commerce.wa.gov.

EV instant rebates prove popular: Funds are more than half spent

9월 27, 20249월 27, 2024

Program participation is three times higher than expected, driven by low-cost leases.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Rebates are going fast with the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Instant Rebate Program, which helps low-income drivers lease or buy EVs. More than 3,300 Washington residents have received rebates in less than 60 days since the program’s launch.

At the current pace, funding is now expected to run out in October, said Steven Hershkowitz, Commerce’s Clean Transportation Program managing director. There is not currently additional funding appropriated for the program. When the program launched August 1, Commerce estimated funding could last until next spring, but participation has far exceeded expectations due to two factors: The level of participation is about three time higher than forecasted, and the $9,000 three-year lease option was even more popular than expected.

“In real time, we are validating our research that EVs are popular with people at all income levels,” said Department of Commerce Director Mike Fong, referencing Commerce’s Transportation Electrification Strategy. “Vehicles are rolling out of dealerships so much faster than we expected – drivers wanting to take advantage of the program should act within the next month before funds run out.”

As of Sept. 24, the program has provided 3,351 rebates, with 64% – 2,145 – for leases. Fifty-five percent of the program’s nearly $45 million budget has been spent, Hershkowitz said. The average rebate so far is $7,292. At the current pace, he expects the state to issue about 6,000 rebates.

“Including low-cost leases in the program design is a game-changer,” said Commerce Energy Division Assistant Director Michael Furze. “Washington is the first state to prioritize low-cost leases as part of an EV incentive program, and the fact that two of every three rebate recipients are choosing this option shows it is the most effective way to accelerate the transition to an equitable EV market.”

Hershkowitz said the program is currently on pace to create $2.84 in benefits within five years for every $1 spent on the program. This is due to the social cost of carbon avoided (which includes positive health outcomes), fuel savings from switching from gasoline to electric, and upfront vehicle cost savings now and in three years when leased vehicles enter the used market or are kept by current drivers. This estimate takes into account a key indicator of program success: 90% of rebate recipients say they couldn’t have bought or leased an electric vehicle without the rebate. This far exceeds California’s EV rebate program, which previously achieved a 66% rate for low-income participants, according to research by their program administrator.

The program is also achieving its intended goal of increasing access for low-income households. According to program data from August, the average rebate recipient comes from a household making an annual income of $51,975.

There are 308 participating dealers statewide, including nearly all franchise dealerships, direct-to-consumer automakers (such as Tesla) and independent dealers. Dealer participation has exceeded expectations, Hershkowitz said; his office and Commerce’s program administrator, Energy Solutions, regularly check in with participating dealers to get feedback and provide support.

“It’s exciting to see how strong the demand for EVs is in Washington,” says Christine Riker, vice president at Energy Solutions, “We’re encouraged by how quickly dealers have understood the value of the program in helping them serve low-income customers.”

Funding is from the Electric Vehicle Incentive Account, which was created in 2022 from state general funds. More than $65 million remains in the account for future iterations of the program if appropriated by the Legislature.

How customers will know if rebates are still available

Starting this week, the website WAEVInstantRebates.org will be updated with funding remaining in the program. If the website’s Dealer Hub page says incentives are available, dealers can complete a lease or sale with customers and include an instant rebate.

A specific program end date will be announced when funding is nearly exhausted. Commerce is not setting a program end date at this time. This allows flexibility to maximize available funding. Commerce plans to provide dealers and customers at least a few days’ notice through a future announcement.

How the program works

Individuals and households making up to 300% of the federal poverty level qualify for the rebate program, which is an instant discount of $2,500 to $9,000 at point of sale or lease. The driver must be a Washington resident who registers the vehicle for personal use with the Washington State Department of Licensing.

Interested drivers will go to participating dealers to learn about low-cost lease and sale offers available under the state instant rebate program. The dealer will get a signed attestation that the buyer meets the income requirements of the program, and determine that their credit score qualifies for a lease deal. The dealer then deducts the applicable rebate amount from the cost of the lease, then applies dealer, state and local fees to arrive at the total lease amount.

The new rebate isn’t the only incentive to switch to electric. There’s also a $7,500 federal EV tax credit available to purchase select new EVs, and $4,000 for used EVs under $25,000. There are also incentives of up to $7,500 available for leases. The state rebate can be added to both the federal credit – which is now available at the point of sale instead of on tax returns, depending on the dealership – and a statewide sales-tax exemption for some vehicles.

Rebate amounts

New EVs

State rebate to purchase or two- or three-year lease: $5,000
State rebate for 3+ year lease: $9,000
Federal rebate to purchase select models: $7,500

Used EVs

State rebate to purchase or two- or three-year lease: $2,500
State rebate for 3+ year lease: $2,500
Federal rebate to purchase select models: $4,000

Full battery electric vehicles with manufacturer’s suggested listed price below $90,000 are eligible, not including motorcycles, scooters and low-medium/speed vehicles, such as golf carts.

Contact

Amelia Lamb, Commerce Communications, 360-995-3386