New Grants Aim to Advance Clean Energy Innovation Across Washington

The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced 46 grants funded by the Washington Climate Commitment Act with additional state funding to boost clean energy technology innovation and support clean energy planning, design and construction projects throughout the state. A total of $37 million awarded through two clean energy programs furthers the goals of Washington's 2021 State Energy Strategy.

"Communities all over Washington will benefit now and in the future from these strategic investments in clean energy," said Commerce Director Mike Fong. "The wide range of projects funded reflect the state's overarching climate goals to create economic opportunities and jobs, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, increase power supply reliability and resilience, reduce emissions, and strengthen the clean technology supply chain."

One set of grant awards continues Washington state's investments to support research, development and demonstration of new technologies that improve the production, use, storage and transportation of energy. A second set will fund a wide variety of projects to promote clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including activities that modernize the electric grid, promote solar energy, enhance community resilience, support low-income communities, and facilitate siting and permitting of new clean energy projects.

Both grant programs considered projects that benefit overburdened communities and vulnerable populations, including tribes and communities with high environmental or energy burdens.

$14 million for Research, Development and Demonstration. Awarded projects fund multiple new and developing technologies, ranging from low-head turbines to create hydropower, to several different carbon capture technologies, to low-carbon concrete products. Grants will benefit communities statewide, including in eastern Washington, the Puget Sound, and coastal communities.

• $990,000 to Carbon Containment Lab, Prosser for a feasibility study to use woody biomass for biogasification and a carbon sequestration project.
• $437,000 to CRTC, Port Angeles for innovation in creating cross-laminated timber flat packs for affordable housing uses with a Makah Tribe sawmill conversion and retooling project.
• $1,372,000 to Dehlsen Associates Inc., Anacortes for the development of a low-cost floating turbine platform that reduces disturbance to marine habitats and maximizes energy capture.
• $270,000 to DWP Energy Solutions LLC, Vancouver for the development of a solar panel that allows for dual use of agricultural land.
• $1,913,723 to Eastern Washington University, Cheney to implement a modular pilot carbon capture system utilizing a novel metal-organic framework to reduce carbon emissions.
• $325,000 to Emrgy, Inc., Pasco for the development and demonstration of a plug-and-play low-head turbine to make low-head/ low-flow hydropower facilities adaptable to energy production.
• $350,000 to FOM Technologies, Inc., Seattle for the development of a scalable prototype film coating system for energy storage.
• $250,000 to Grays Harbor Carbon Capture, Elma for a study to innovate carbon capture at a natural gas combined cycle plant.
• $700,000 to Homeostasis Systems Corp., Tacoma to conduct a pilot project to develop carbon materials from atmospheric CO2 for use in battery cell markets.
• $512,720 to Manaflex LLC, Vancouver for the development of a flexible photovoltaic prototype and production line with a focus on applications in overburdened communities.
• $1,997,500 to MujiElectric LLC, Renton to develop and demonstrate a high-efficiency wide-bandgap perovskite-based solar cell.
• $331,000 to Mutual Materials, Kent for a project utilizing industrial byproducts to reduce GHG emissions through the development of low-carbon concrete products adapted to Washington state materials and building specifications.
• $750,000 to Oscilla Power Inc., Seattle for development and demonstration of an enhanced drivetrain for an ocean wave energy converter.
• $660,000 to Polar Defense LLC, Moses Lake for the creation of a novel direct air capture system to provide CO2 for the production of net zero sustainable aviation fuel.
• $500,000 to Seiksui Aerospace, Renton for project development of novel thermoplastic solutions for battery storage housings in clean energy vehicles.
• $1,696,769 to Siemens Energy Inc., Redmond to develop a transportable, electrically powered Turbo Heater demonstration package and integrate it into a Washington state pulp and paper mill for an industrial demonstration operation.
• $498,580 to Small Planet USA LLC, Tumwater to research and develop phase change materials for latent energy storage in water heater systems for buildings.
• $579,422 to StorEdgeAI LLC, Bothell for the demonstration of an advanced Li-ion battery storage system with reduced production cost, smaller footprint, and improved fire safety.

"Siemens Energy's Turbo Heater is a novel technology that generates high-temperature process heat without burning fuel, which will lead to decarbonization of the pulp and paper industry and other hard-to-abate sectors with sizable emissions,"  said Jim Hochstein, Siemens Energy Program Manager. "Teaming with the state on this project is a great opportunity to advance our technology and support the global energy transition."

$23 million general solicitation for clean energy projects. Responding to input and feedback, Commerce redesigned a significant portion of clean energy grant funding to consolidate and streamline the application process, and assist in matching eligible projects with available funds. This general grant solicitation pooled funding and enabled a single application across all eligible applicants and project types.

• $165,000 to the City of Bellingham to evaluate several locations for large-scale solar initiatives. The assessment will examine the potential for future low-income community solar development.
• $50,000 to the City of Tumwater for a feasibility study to plan and design solar with storage at each of the city's two fire stations.
• $1 million to Cloudbreak Energy Washington, LLC, Mt. Vernon (two grants of $500,000 each) for Peregrine 1 and 2 dual-use solar project that will combine commercial solar energy with agricultural practices using sheep grazing.
• $1,235,797 to Department of Natural Resources, Tumwater to install a carport solar and battery storage project at the Tumwater headquarters
• $275,000 to Eastern Washington University, Cheney for planning and pre-development for a 3.5MW solar project on the campus that will significantly increase renewable energy generation and serve as a living laboratory for students and the community.
• $1 million to Fasahov Solar, LLC, Sunnyside for a 2 MW solar project paired with multiple agrivoltaic practices including native pollinator plants, sheep grazing, and beehives.
• $82,470 to Friends of Deming Library, Deming for rooftop solar panels to offset annual electrical use and provide power for EV charging ports. Energy savings will help expand services and programs to the Nooksack Indian Tribe.
• $66,400 to Goosefoot Community Fund, Langley for a feasibility study of a solar plus storage project at Bayview Center, which would allow the center to become a community resilience hub in emergencies.
• $664,603 to Kalama School District, Kalama to install a 100 kW solar project at the middle school gym building.
• $140,000 to King County Water District #90, Renton to plan for the installation of a 100 kW (or larger) solar array paired with battery energy storage to supply buildings, well pumps, water treatment plants EV charging stations and emergency generation.
• $1.2 million to Kitsap Transit, Bremerton for the design and permitting of an all-electric, zero-emission passenger fast ferry and shoreside infrastructure to replace conventional diesel-burning fast ferries.
• $471,449 to Kittitas School District #403, Kittitas to install 100 kW solar project at Kittitas Elementary School with a goal of reducing energy, carbon emissions, and operational costs at the facility.
• $712,910 to Klickitat County Fire Protection District #4, Lyle to install a 44 kW solar and battery energy storage system at the Lyle Fire Department and Incident Response Command Center to provide backup power during high winds and other weather events.
• $1,875,780 to Lake Quinault School District, Amanda Park to install a 200 kW solar and battery energy storage system at the school. The project will help insulate the school from dozens of power outages experienced every school year in a rural and isolated community located on Quinault Indian Nation land in the Olympic National Forest.
• $1,737,262 to Lamb Weston, Inc., Paterson to support industrial decarbonization of the food and beverage sector at the Lamb Weston Paterson Plant. Outdated and energy-intensive heating and cooling equipment will be replaced to reduce energy consumption and emissions.
• $2,875,000 to Lamb Weston, Inc., Pasco to support industrial decarbonization at the Lamb Weston Pasco facility that produces over 300 million pounds of potato products annually. Equipment will be upgraded to utilize energy efficient water pre-heating technology to reduce emissions from fossil-fueled heaters and water consumption.
• $667,135 to Methow Valley United Methodist Church, Twisp to install a 72 kW solar project paired with battery energy storage to power a community resilience hub that provides shelter during extreme heat and cold events.
• $1,872,738 to Pacific Green Fertilizer Corp., Richland for industrial decarbonization at the Atlas Agro nitrogen fertilizer plant. The plant will use renewable electricity and water to produce green hydrogen which will be used to provide affordable, zero-carbon fertilizers to farmers, reducing dependence on imports and the carbon footprint of agriculture.
• $160,000 to Pierce County Facilities Management, Tacoma for solar energy and battery storage siting and feasibility analysis at county-owned facilities.
• $520,274 to PUD No. 1 of Clallam County, Sequim for repurposing a decommissioned substation in rural North Olympia Peninsula to construct an independent microgrid to increase community resilience against outages.
• $2,524,204 to Sagecliffe Resort and Spa, LLC, Quincy to install a 1 MW dual use solar project at a vineyard to provide shade and act as a windbreak for commercial beehives.
• $500,000 to Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle for a siting study to identify best facilities for renewable energy generation including landfill and rooftop solar, in-line hydropower, and battery storage.
• $425,000 to Snohomish County Public Works, Snohomish to finalize a design and permitting study for a 3 to 5 MW solar and battery energy storage and microgrid project on the closed Cathcart landfill.
• $210,000 to South Whidbey Good Cheer, Langley to enhance a food bank building with a solar and battery energy storage system to create a community resiliency hub during emergencies, minimize food spoilage, improve service to constituents, and decrease fossil fuel and generator emissions.
• $339,763 to The Nature Conservancy, to assess the potential of agrivoltaics in Washington including engaging farming communities to understand challenges and opportunities for agrivoltaics, a state-wide map of agrivoltaic potential and property-specific agrivoltaic models.
• $130,000 to Thurston County, Olympia for a siting study to assess multiple sites for large-scale community solar development aimed at benefitting low income communities.
• $2,455,113 to Washington State University, Rock Island for a 610 kW agrivoltaic project in existing WSU apple orchards to provide controlled shading for trees, increase the yield of harvestable fruit and offset agricultural electricity usage.

Watch a video about these Commerce investments in Energy Programs in Communities (YouTube)

Approximately $29 million of this funding is provided by Washington's Climate Commitment Act (CCA), supplemented with additional state funding for energy projects. The CCA supports Washington's climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.

Another round of clean energy grants focused on tribal communities in Washington state will be announced in coming weeks.