The Washington state Department of Commerce delivered $41.1 million to 49 Clean Energy Community Grants awardees in 22 counties this year, according to a news release from the Department of Commerce.
The grants will support projects such as rooftop solar, battery storage, decarbonization efforts, electric vehicle (EV) charging and feasibility studies.
Local communities receiving grants include:
The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation in Oakville received $1 million for the planning and design of a large-scale solar farm for increased resiliency and reduced energy burden.
The Oakville School District was granted $91,770 to support solar plus battery storage for high school and middle school campuses.
For more information and a complete list of grant recipients, visit shorturl.at/CERAB.
The awards were made this spring and summer, and many awardees now have their projects under contract. The funding aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while delivering meaningful benefits to tribes, overburdened communities and vulnerable populations in Washington, the release stated.
They were funded by the Climate Commitment Act (CCA).
“As the Trump Administration steps back from our clean energy economy, we’re stepping up,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said in the release. “Washington will continue to be a leader in making investments in the future. We’re supporting clean energy, good-paying jobs and community resiliency.”
Commerce awards CCA funding based on the state’s commitment to helping communities improve their resilience, reduce carbon emissions, and increase equitable access to clean technology, according to the release. It was administered through Commerce’s Clean Energy Community Grant program. The first round was announced last spring, while the final awards were made in the spring and summer.
“We’re putting this money back into communities who need it,” Commerce Director Joe Nguyễn said. “Our goal is to reduce carbon emissions, and the people who know best how to do that are the people receiving these critical investments.”
