The Washington State Department of Commerce has distributed more than $41 million in Clean Energy Community Grant awards to 49 projects spread out across 22 counties.
Funding from this year’s round of grants will go toward projects focused on rooftop solar, decarbonization efforts, electric-vehicle charging, and other climate-conscious causes, a release said.
Awards were made in the spring and summer, and most awarded organizations have their projects under contract. Funding was given to help causes that reduce greenhouse-gas emissions while providing beneficial funding to tribes and other vulnerable or overburdened communities.
“We’re putting this money back into communities who need it,” said Commerce Director Joe Nguyễn in the release. “Our goal is to reduce carbon emissions, and the people who know best how to do that are the people receiving these critical investments.”
One awarded group was The Latino Educational Training Institute, which received $50,000 for a solar- and battery-storage feasibility study for the organization’s community center in Everett.
“This project will help LETI’s mission to build a sustainable, resilient community hub that supports immigrant wealth-building, job creation, and opportunity in South Everett’s Latino community,” said Marisol Bejarano, LETI’s director of health and wellness programs, in the release. “It’s a step toward long-term economic empowerment, environmental sustainability, and a more equitable future for our community.”
See the full list of awardees here.