Public power utilities in Washington State are the recipients of grants recently awarded by the Washington State Department of Commerce. The funding will be used for, among other things, solar, energy storage and microgrid projects.
The state agency in late February announced 14 grants awarded through the Clean Energy Fund.
The public power utilities and communities receiving grants are as follows:
- $128,000 to Clallam County PUD for the design of a microgrid at the Sequim substation, including incorporating existing solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, and communications assets.
- $350,000 to City of Ellensburg for a smart grid solution for renewable energy deployment to the city’s electric utility.
- $149,534 to Energy Northwest to study the technical and economic characteristics of a long-duration energy storage project study in Benton County.
- $172,000 to Jefferson County PUD for the Port Townsend Pipeline Generation and Storage Study. The study will explore the feasibility of adding three in-line 1 megawatt hydro turbines to 30 inch water pipelines to supply spot loads for the planned electrification of the Port Townsend Ferry.
- $149,534 to Lewis County PUD for the feasibility and early stage design of a solar and storage microgrid in Packwood.
- $245,000 to Tacoma Power for a study to explore sustainable pathways for increased reliability and operational efficiency for power delivery to edge-of-grid service territories.
- $2 million to Tulalip Tribes to install a microgrid for the Tulalip community at the Gathering Hall facility. This project builds on a previous Grid Modernization grant, with Snohomish PUD as the primary grantee.
Tribes, retail electric utilities, local governments and community organizations were eligible for grants in this funding round.
The Grid Modernization Program prioritizes projects that serve vulnerable populations. The awarded projects aim to positively affect cross-cutting social, environmental and energy burdens on communities. Common narratives from applicants include increased energy resilience, opportunities to implement new technologies to replace aging infrastructure, and deploying innovative clean technologies in communities facing climate change impacts, the agency said.
Ten of the awards were to new applicants. Over the years, the Grid Modernization Program has encouraged partnerships between grantees.
This year, there was a mixture of new applicants, experienced applicants, and experienced applicants supporting new applicants. The Tulalip Tribes, for example, partnered with Snohomish PUD in a previous funding round for its new microgrid, which was designed in part as a project for a Washington State University class. The Tribes decided to apply for funding themselves in this round for implementation of the previous work.
These competitive grant awards are conditional upon the execution of final project agreements and performance-based contracts with Commerce.
Funding for the program is through the Clean Energy Fund. Since its inception in 2013, Clean Energy Fund investments have helped incentivize public and private utilities and their partners to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy technologies.
For information on clean energy grant opportunities, visit www.commerce.wa.gov/growing-the-economy/energy/epic/
