Washington state receives $900,000 SBA grant to boost small business exports

septiembre 26, 2024septiembre 26, 2024

Commerce program earns largest grant award available through the federal State Trade Expansion Program (STEP)

OLYMPIA, WA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today a State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant of $900,000 to the Washington State Department of Commerce. Washington is one of eight states receiving the largest amount available from a total $20 million awarded to 43 states. The SBA has entrusted Commerce with STEP grants each year since its inception in 2010, providing essential funds to help state small businesses grow through exporting and international trade.

“As the world continues to experience economic challenges, exporting can serve as a key tool for small businesses to diversify their strategies and continue to grow,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong. “I’m proud that the SBA has recognized our team’s exceptional work once again with the largest STEP grant awarded to any state. We look forward to continuing to provide the best support to small businesses looking to grow outside of the United States through targeted trade shows and missions, export training, and technical assistance.”

STEP grants fuel Washington small business exports

Over the past 11 years, more than 1,600 unique small Washington businesses realized over $600 Million in sales, creating an estimated return on investment of nearly 52:1. Commerce will use this year’s grant funds for a host of proven export assistance programs to expand small businesses. These include export vouchers, support for industry focused trade shows and trade missions, inbound buyer events and export training.

“Attending the Farnborough International Airshow presented us with several prospective opportunities in our pipeline,” said Tommy Gantz, Director of Business Development at TLG Aerospace. “These are directly linked to the initiatives supported by the STEP grant and they highlight the tangible benefits the STEP grant has brought to our company. It has not only allowed us to expand our market reach but also empowered us to pursue new business opportunities aligned with our growth strategy. We are confident that these efforts will continue to yield positive results in the coming months.”

How Commerce will invest grant monies

With this next round of funding, Commerce will participate in more than a dozen 12 trade shows and missions, worldwide, over the year ahead. The focus will be to further support key growth industries, such as medical devices, life science, aerospace, defense, foodtech, IoT, electronics, composites, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and others. The addition, companies can engage the agency’s global consultants in key global communities who offer market access support and the export voucher program to offset the cost of international business expansion efforts.

“We have many quotes still open that came from the show,” said Oyvind Henningsen, Owner of Leitor Inc. who sells and services commercial seafood processing equipment. Their company joined the Commerce team at the Global Seafood Expo, held in April. “We expect higher direct sales and we also connected with possible suppliers. This was a very worthwhile show for us!”

“Due to traveling to the Japan Game Market, we have begun discussions for localizing one of our games with Japanese publishers and anticipate raising significant funds in Japan further support our game in market,” Alexander Jerabek, Creative Director at Cherry Picked Games, used the STEP Export Voucher Program to attend the Japan Game Market.

For information about STEP export vouchers or other Commerce programs that help Washington businesses grow, expand and locate in Washington State, please visit ChooseWashington.com.

Contact: Penny Thomas, Commerce Communications, 206-256-6106

Climate Commitment Act at work in communities: Commerce awards nearly $8 million to help assess, aid local governments in addressing clean buildings requirements

septiembre 5, 2024septiembre 22, 2024

Grants to Association of Washington Cities and the Washington State Association of Counties to pay for energy audits, collect cost data on government buildings

OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced grants of $3.88 million each to the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Washington Association of Counties (WSAC) to pay for energy audits and collect data on the costs of compliance with the Washington Clean Buildings Performance Standard for city and county-owned buildings.

The associations will provide outreach to their members, including guidance on energy auditor selection and contracting, and provide grants to cities for energy audits. They will also collect cost data and other metrics for reports due to the Washington Legislature in December 2025.

“We are pleased to partner with AWC and WSAC in this program funded through Washington’s Climate Commitment Act,” said Commerce Director Michael Fong. “Their work will be key to helping cities and counties advance our collective efforts to realize the full potential of clean buildings to increase energy efficiency, cost savings and environmental benefits in communities statewide.”

“The grant provides much-needed funding for cities as they work to meet Washington’s decarbonization goals,” said AWC Government Relations Director Candace Bock. “In addition, the results of the audits will help increase understanding of the extent of the costs for cities across Washington to comply with the state’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard.”

AWC’s Energy Audit Grant program will launch on Sept. 13 and remain open through Jan. 31, 2025. Cities that own qualifying buildings are eligible to apply for assistance. Visit the AWC grant program webpage or contact awcenergyauditgrant@awcnet.org for more information.

“WSAC appreciates the opportunity to partner with the state in distributing these funds to our 39 member counties,” said Curtis Steinhauer. WSAC policy analyst and grant program manager. “Meeting the performance standard of the Washington State Clean Buildings Act will be a challenge for counties and WSAC is working to advocate for our members and connect them with needed resources. We look forward to this and future opportunities to partner with the state in this important work.”

WSAC’s grant program is available now. Any county can apply for funds by submitting an inventory of county-owned qualifying buildings. Interested counties can find information on WSAC’s grant program webpage or reach out to Curtis Steinhauer at csteinhauer@wsac.org.

Greening the built environment

Buildings are the most rapidly growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in Washington. The buildings sector is the state’s second-biggest carbon polluter behind transportation, accounting for more than a quarter of statewide emissions. Investment in building energy efficiency is the most cost-efficient way to achieve significant reductions in these greenhouse gas emissions.

The objective of Washington’s Clean Buildings law is to lower costs and pollution from fossil fuel consumption in existing covered buildings, multifamily buildings, and campus district energy systems. Under the law, buildings of 20,000 square feet or more have specific reporting requirements and deadlines to comply with the Clean Buildings Performance Standard beginning in June 2026.

Commerce has technical and other assistance, including early adopter financial incentives, available to building owners. For more information on incentives, visit Commerce’s website.

This grant funding to assist cities and counties comes from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA). 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.

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Commerce awards $12.6 million to create 300 units of low-income housing near public transit centers

agosto 29, 2024

State matches Amazon Housing Equity Fund donation to support transit-oriented development of affordable housing in Seattle and Vancouver

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Commerce awarded $12.6 million to three affordable housing projects that will produce 300 units of low-income housing near public mass transit in Seattle and Vancouver. The grants are funded by a legislative appropriation matching a donation from Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund.

“These grants are a great example of public and private partners coming together to tackle the significant shortage of affordable housing in Washington,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong. “Developing housing near public transit centers is key to building vibrant communities, making it possible for more people to live near jobs, educational opportunities and essential services.”

Recipients of this round of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) matching grants are:

New Hope Community Development Institute, for New Hope Family Housing, Seattle: $6.1 million
YWCA Seattle, King, Snohomish, for Fifth and Seneca, Seattle: $2 million
Native American Youth & Family Center (NAYA), Vancouver Waterfront Gateway, Vancouver: $4.5 million

View more information about the funded projects. Funding for this award has closed. Future opportunities will be announced online.

Commerce received nine applications totaling $27.8 million for this round of TOD match funding. Of the $12.6 million awarded, $10.6 million will go to organizations registered as by-and-for organizations with Commerce, meaning that they are led by and serve members of specific, historically marginalized communities, including Black, tribal and other people of color.

To learn more about Commerce funding for multifamily housing and the Washington State’ Housing Trust Fund, visit the Department of Commerce’s HTF website.

Commerce invests $2 million to accelerate industrial site development across state

agosto 28, 2024

Funding intended to attract and expand manufacturing activity and job creation in rural Washington

OLYMPIA, WA—The Washington State Department of Commerce has awarded $2 million in grants to eight projects that will expand the state’s portfolio of project-ready industrial sites, with incentives for private investment. The one-time grants will help publicly owned sites become more competitive for business attraction and investment. County governments, port districts and tribal governments submitted proposals to support specific industrial site projects.

“We’re delighted to award these grants to support some exciting projects envisioned in rural communities around the state,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong. “These sites have the potential to attract manufacturers with good jobs that can be a catalyst for additional economic activity.”

The eight grant recipients are:

City of Chehalis: Chehalis-Centralia Airport (Lewis County) – $350,000
The city’s site readiness project is located in the northern portion of the Chehalis-Centralia airport. It includes 135 acres suitable for projects related to alternative fuels, advanced air mobility and emerging technologies. Project funding will support environmental and engineering studies, a cultural resources study, and pre-design activities.

City of the Dalles/Klickitat County: Columbia Gorge Regional Airport (Klickitat County) – $250,000
Plans for the aviation business park within the 430-acre site include aerospace manufacturing, aviation research and development and aviation schools. The grant will fund civil engineering work regarding traffic, waterlines, sanitary sewer and stormwater, drainage, grading and preparation.

City of Richland and Port of Benton: Northwest Advanced Clean Energy Park (Benton County) – $200,000
The project focuses on site readiness planning studies and infrastructure planning for 837 acres of the Northwest Advanced Clean Energy Park. Engineering studies will determine whether infrastructure can accommodate large-capacity developments.

Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation: Old Okanogan Casino-Bingo Hall (Okanogan County) – $200,000
Located at the Old Okanogan Casino-Bingo Hall in the Colville Reservation, the project includes a Rail Improvement Study, an electrical feasibility study, a traffic analysis study, a water supply assessment, a wastewater infrastructure assessment and a market study.

Port of Chehalis: Bishop Road Industrial Sites 1 and 2 (Lewis County) – $250,000
The project positions the property for permitting and availability to fill and grade the property in preparation for being completely shovel-ready for industrial and manufacturing use. Funding will be used for property demolition, waste removal, brush removal, drainage maintenance, and a cultural resources study.

“This grant will kickstart our master plan and prepare the Chehalis-Centralia AIrport for the design and construction of the Chehalis Hub for Aviation Innovation and Sustainable Energy (CHAISE),” said Airport Director Brandon Rakes. “The grant funds help us complete environmental studies and pre-design tasks, enabling a biological assessment that will likely put us 12 months ahead of schedule.” Rakes said CHAISE will be a place for emerging aviation technology companies to demonstrate their technology, provide connectivity to Lewis County, and workforce development opportunities in the community, while simultaneously reducing the airport’s carbon footprint and generating clean energy.

Port of Othello: Bruce Industrial Area (Adams County) – $350,000
Project funding will support a comprehensive master engineering plan study, economic feasibility study, and engineer’s estimate costs associated with constructing necessary infrastructure and addressing all pre-permitting required to achieve shovel-ready status for the 109-acre site.

Port of Shelton: Johns Prairie Industrial Park (Mason County) – $200,000
As part of community economic revitalization efforts, the 385-acre site is planned to support large-scale projects, including aviation-related industrial development. The site readiness project will address infrastructure resource needs in the industrial park through sewage capacity and conveyance improvements.

Port of Port Townsend: Jefferson County International Airport Light Industrial Park (Jefferson County) – $200,000
The project is part of the port’s site readiness plan for overall layout and design, including utility and site engineering and permitting for the industrial park. The designs reflect a master-planned industrial campus generating up to 300 jobs in the rural county.

These eight grants will fund a range of activities, including engineering studies, permitting, and site due- diligence activities designed to accelerate development at large industrial sites for manufacturing activity and create economic opportunity and jobs, particularly in rural communities. Industrial Site Readiness Grants support the 2021 Building Economic Strength Through Manufacturing (BEST) Act, which provides a framework for Washington to add 300,000 new manufacturing jobs over 10 years. Commerce awarded $2.5 million to six projects in the first round of funding in January 2023.

Washington’s first-in-the-nation clean buildings fellowship selected for $7.78 million federal grant

agosto 28, 2024

More than 60 Building Efficiency and Clean Operations Network (BEACON) fellows to be trained, credentialed, paired with communities statewide to help buildings save energy and money

OLYMPIA, WA – The U.S. Department of Energy has selected the Building Efficiency and Clean Operations Network (BEACON), a Department of Commerce project supporting Washington’s first-in-nation Clean Buildings Performance Standard, for a $7.78 million grant. Commerce partnered with the Smart Buildings Center Education Program, Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI), and San Timoteo Associates, to develop and run the innovative BEACON project that will help train and match technical experts with building owners statewide who need support to meet the state’s performance standard.

The BEACON fellowship project will establish a cohort of at least 60 fellows to provide energy services to owners/operators of large commercial and multifamily buildings, helping them capture energy savings, and comply with the Washington Clean Buildings Performance Standard. Fellows will be placed in communities for three to 12 months, depending on the number of covered buildings in the area and the need for these no-cost technical services. Buildings in areas identified as underserved and overburdened communities will be prioritized.

“BEACON fellows will be an important catalyst for growing Washington’s clean energy workforce, and will help building owner/operators most in-need assess and lower their energy use and ultimately lower energy costs,” said Commerce Director Michael Fong. “In selecting our project, the U.S. Department of Energy recognizes the value in Washington’s efforts to bring deep carbon emissions reductions to the built environment, while also investing in healthier, safer, more cost-effective buildings.”

Washington’s State Energy Strategy identifies the need for qualified workers to support cleaner buildings statewide over the next 25 years. In addition to assisting building owner/operators with performance standard compliance, BEACON project partners will train and promote a sustainable clean buildings workforce and create a multiplier effect to support energy efficiency statewide.

This grant funding comes from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Assistance for the Adoption of the Latest and Zero Building Energy Codes grant opportunity. Signed into law in August 2022, the IRA mobilizes $370 billion for lowering energy costs for families and small businesses, and accelerating investment in clean energy solutions in the form of rebates, tax credits, and grants.

Commerce is one of 20 grant recipients nationwide selected by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP), to support innovative code and standard development and implementation projects. The City of Seattle was also selected under this funding opportunity to support implementation of the city’s Building Emissions Performance Standard.

To learn more about the Clean Buildings Performance Standard and the BEACON project, contact buildings@commerce.wa.gov.

Commerce awards almost $5 million in State Project Improvement grants

agosto 27, 2024

These grants cover the difference in cost for state agencies to increase the energy efficiency of planned and budgeted capital projects in the current biennium

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced eight State Project Improvement grants for $4,850,000 to help state-owned facilities pay for efficiency measures to move buildings closer to meeting the state’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard. These awards are funded by the Climate Commitment Act.

All of the awards in this round of funding are to public higher education institutions. The funding will help public colleges and universities across the state reduce their carbon emissions, helping achieve Washington’s climate goals. The 2021 State Energy Strategy states that Washington will limit greenhouse gas emissions to 45% of 1990 levels by 2030, 70% of 1990 levels by 2040, and net zero by 2050.

“State Project Improvement grants specifically help increase the energy efficiency of state projects, moving state agencies and higher education institutions toward emission reduction targets,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong. “I’m especially pleased that all of the funding this round is to higher education institutions. Our public colleges and universities affect so many students, instructors, employees and members of the public across the state. The impact of this funding is wide-ranging for all communities in Washington.”

Applicants were required to submit a detailed description of the baseline planned project, as well as the proposed alternative project that would increase their energy efficiency. The grants awarded the difference between the original project and the energy-efficient alternative. All of the selected projects met or exceeded the required criteria of savings to investment ratio with a contribution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Awards:

$970,834 to Central Washington University, Ellensburg. This project will build on a planned upgrade of an air handler in preparation for future conversion to geothermal; the enhancements funded by this grant introduce an ultra-efficient flooded heat exchanger operating on steam until the final geothermal step is implemented.
$599,623 to Edmonds Community College, Edmonds. In addition to the original HVAC controller replacement, this will upgrade 68 zone level heating valves with pressure indicators improving occupancy control, demand ventilation, and reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption.
$327,014 to Green River Community College, Auburn. Convert florescent lighting to LEDs. The conversion will reduce energy consumption and provide better lighting and longer measure life.
$259,088 to Shoreline Community College, Everett. Upgrades the replacement of five inefficient boilers with high efficiency boilers for three buildings, reducing energy use by 15-17%.
$330,000 to South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia. Retro-commissioning, controls and heating valve upgrades will enhance the baseline fan motor replacement and optimize functioning of building systems.
$440,509 to South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia. Upgrades standard boiler replacements to new, high efficiency condensing boilers, circulation pumps and flues.
$617,624 to South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia. Replaces multiple end-of-life heat pumps and add controls to multiple mezzanines.
$1,305,308 to University of Washington, Seattle. Installs efficient fan coil units with temperature control, and revises layout of piping and ductwork to position Anderson Hall for compatibility with the planned campus district heating water system that will move the campus away from fossil fuels.

Fong recently visited CWU, which included a tour of the construction site for the campus-wide geothermal energy system. The work will be transformative for CWU for decades to come, he said.

This solicitation was non-competitive. Each proposed project was reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Funding was available in the 2023 capital budget and the 2024 supplemental capital budget.

Commerce boosts child care with more than $7 million for 64 early learning centers

agosto 27, 2024

Grants will upgrade or renovate early learning facilities in 16 counties

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced more than $7 million in grants to 64 early learning providers across the state. The grants provide financial assistance for licensed child care providers to make minor renovations that improve health and safety, such as updated playground equipment, sanitation spaces, fencing, HVAC upgrades and light fixtures.

”These grants sustain critical facilities that give parents choices to meet their family’s needs and ensure more access and availability to high-quality child care,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong. “We know that child care is a barrier to employment for families, and we can advance economic opportunity for Washington’s families by ensuring children have a place to thrive.”

View the full 2024 ELF minor renovations awards summary (Box PDF).

The Harvard Park Learning Center North project in Spokane received 2021-23 ELF minor renovations funding. The renovations for improved health and safety include an open floor plan, updated flooring, and updated sinks and counter tops.

The Commerce Early Learning Facilities Program received 179 applications requesting more than $21 million. With requests more than triple available funds, Commerce, in collaboration with the Department of Children, Youth and Families, evaluated key project criteria such as the number of child care slots serving low-income families, the project location relative to other early learning facilities, and projects in rural or low-income areas, among other factors.

“Investing in licensed child care providers means increased access to high-quality early learning programs for families across the state,” said DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter. “I am pleased the Department of Children, Youth, and Families and Department of Commerce continue to support and sustain access to child care, which supports school readiness, allows families to secure stable employment, bolsters local economies, and makes communities stronger.”

The Early Learning Facilities Program, administered by Commerce, has awarded more than $180 million to create more than 12,500 child care slots statewide. ELF launched in 2017 to create more early learning classrooms and ensure all children are prepared to enter kindergarten. The ELF grant program funds new construction, renovation and acquisition projects that increase or retain early learning capacity at in-home and child care center facilities with a focus on child care deserts and children from low-income households. There is no additional minor renovations funding available at this time, and can only be made available again if the Legislature appropriates it.

To learn more about this program and subscribe to a mailing list for updates and future funding opportunities, please visit Commerce’s ELF webpage.

Commerce awards more than $29 million to address wealth disparities, promote homeownership and expand access to financial resources

agosto 22, 2024

New and established programs in communities statewide will provide important capital for grants and subsidized loans for individuals and small businesses

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Commerce announced $29 million in grants to various by-and-for agencies across the state through the Community Reinvestment Project. These funds are intended to help individuals and families acquire and secure assets, such as homes and property, as part of a broader effort to support communities disproportionately affected by systemic racism during the war on drugs.

“The communities supported by this funding have long histories of experiencing harm from and missed by government-led services and supports,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong. “This funding is one way we’re working to ensure that they have more equal opportunities in the future and we create a more equitable Washington for everyone.”

The funding prioritizes organizations that are by-and-for members of Black, Latine, and tribal communities. Data shows that these communities were disproportionately affected by the historic design and enforcement of U.S. state and federal criminal laws and penalties for drug possession.

“It is exciting to see the long overdue investment of funds in communities that have suffered under the disproportionate application of penalties in the war on drugs,” said Housing Division Assistant Director Corina Grigoras. “These projects will provide much-needed support for businesses to grow their services for greater impact in their communities, and provide additional, targeted funding for people pursuing homeownership. It is with great joy that Commerce is able to invest these much needed resources.”

Of the funding, $14.5 million will support eight existing and emerging Black, Latine, and tribal lending agencies, regardless of whether they are recognized as community development financial institutions (CDFIs). These grants will provide vital capital for lending, operations and salaries, enabling these agencies to better serve their communities.

An additional $14.5 million is being awarded to five lending agencies to support the Homeownership Capital Accelerator program. This program is designed to reduce homebuyers’ monthly mortgage payments and increase their purchasing power by using tools such as second mortgages to eliminate the need for mortgage insurance. This significant investment aims to amplify the impact of homeownership opportunities.

Black, Latine and tribal-led Agency Support Awards

Agency name	Service area	Award amount
Central Area Collaborative	King County	$680,000
Chehalis Tribal Loan Fund	Chehalis Tribal Members and Grays Harbor County	$1,000,000
Fourth Plain Forward	Clark County	$1,390,368
Tacoma Urban League	Pierce County	$5,000,000
Denkyam, SPC	King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties	$4,441,307
Byrd Barr Place	King, Pierce, Snohomish, Clark, Yakima, Spokane, and other counties as needed	$1,001,000
Foundation for Homeless	Kitsap, Mason, and Pierce counties	$228,000
Take Up the Cause	Spokane county	$809,000
Total		$14,550,000

Homeownership Capital Accelerator Awards

Agency name	Service area	Award amount
Centro Cultural Mexicano	King, Pierce, Snohomish, and other counties as needed	$3,000,000
Urban League of Seattle	King County	$3,000,000
Byrd Barr Place	Clark, King, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane and Yakima counties	$2,850,000
African American Leadership Forum	Pierce and King counties	$2,850,000
Homesight	Statewide	$2,850,000
Total		$14,550,000

Systemic racism continues to block communities of color from achieving their full potential. The CRP is designed to address the historic and systemic inequities that have disproportionately harmed communities in Washington, such as those affected by the war on drugs. By centering communities with the greatest disparities in program design and funding, CRP aims to reduce disparities in economic, legal, and safety outcomes, promoting equity across the state.

Learn more about the CRP on the Commerce website.

Community energy planning projects receive over $1 million in federal infrastructure funding

agosto 19, 2024

Commerce awards infrastructure funding to nine cities and counties across Washington state for energy conservation projects to reduce operating costs, improve environmental quality

OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced the first group of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) awards to help nine local governments plan for future projects. Grants are funded by the Biden Administration’s 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“This federal funding is designed to empower small local and tribal governments seeking to advance a variety of energy efficiency and conservation goals and priorities,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong. “From increasing building efficiency and reducing harmful emissions to exploring DIY house plans and transportation electrification, Washington communities are pursuing innovative work to benefit their residents and our environment in the future.”

Grant awards announced today are:

Jefferson County: $253,000 to create energy efficient stock house plans. Do-it-Yourself Residential Plans will focus on energy efficiency, reducing community-wide emissions, and enabling low-income and middle-income households to build their own homes in an area with rapidly rising living costs.
Island County: $235,500 for an energy audit and planning for new building systems for the county Law and Justice Building. This is the first step in electrifying the building to improve indoor air quality and generate savings that can be re-directed to support a variety of social services.
Des Moines: $160,000 for environmental analysis and community engagement for a planned electric ferry. The Electric Water Taxi Initiative will survey residents regarding their commuting habits and interest level in the proposed ferry service, and consider linkages with secondary transportation options. The economic and environmental analysis will be used by city administrators to determine the most appropriate type of water taxi service for the community.
Jefferson County: $110,000 to promote C-PACER program to increase industrial energy efficiency. The Cornerstone Commercial Audits Serving the Rural Economy project will conduct energy audits for C-PACER participants on commercial structures to help retain commercial and historic assets in the community.
Kittitas County: $110,000 for conducting an energy audit for the courthouse and jail complex. The audit will establish an energy use intensity baseline and identify potential energy saving retrofits.
Chelan County: $98,488 for a regional climate action plan. The Chelan County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory will present a countywide view with baseline data for use in regional planning and future action.
City of College Place: $38,454 for a strategic energy plan for city buildings. The Energy Plan Blueprint will identify opportunities, projects and methods for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, produce reports, anticipate increased energy needs across city infrastructure, and produce reports and presentation materials.
City of Tukwila: $21,680 for electrification to reduce emissions at the city hall, community center and recreation facilities. The Parks and Golf Buildings Energy Audits project will help the city plan for future measures to lower emissions impact on air and waterways and consideration of new energy sources.
City of Maple Valley: $15,563 to conduct an energy audit on the public works and maintenance facilities. The objective is to replace current equipment that uses waste petroleum products for heating and lighting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Additional funding is available for the EECBG program, and Commerce is accepting applications. No matching funds are required. The program funds three types of pre-construction activities:

Work with consultants to develop plans and strategies for energy efficiency and conservation. This includes financing, purchasing, and installing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and zero-emission transportation and associated infrastructure.
Energy audits that are conducted on commercial and residential buildings.
Public education programs developed to build public awareness and energy saving actions.

Local and tribal governments are encouraged to visit the Commerce website for more information.

2024 Washington Governor’s Smart Communities Award winners announced

agosto 12, 2024

Annual awards recognize exceptional accomplishments by local governments and partners in land use planning and development

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Commerce is pleased to announce the 12 winners of the 2024 Governor’s Smart Communities Awards. Presented annually since 2006, the Governor’s Smart Communities Awards recognize local governments and their partners for exceptional land use planning and development.

“Each year, I get to elevate plans, projects or partnerships that change how we see our state,” said Governor Jay Inslee. “This year, I am excited to share three separate housing awards, demonstrating just how important affordable housing is to our communities and just how effective we can be in handling our statewide housing needs.”

Awards are organized by category with special recognition given to the Judge’s Merit award. From community visioning to developing new housing, these awards highlight each step in the local planning process and the hard work, collaboration and citizen engagement it takes to accomplish these community led goals.

“These awards are a constant reminder that work on our state’s most important issues takes place at a community level,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong. “From housing to climate to equity, we are proud to see these transformative efforts taking place every year, strengthening our communities.”

“The City of Bellevue is honored to be recognized for both the Housing Stability Program and the Eastrail Wilburton Framework Plan, examples of how collaboration and innovation can lead to a better quality of life for our community,” said Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson. “These initiatives help us create places where you want to be, increase affordable housing options in our city and drive thoughtful development that connects people to important transportation and recreation options, services and housing.»

Award winners this year span the state and provide insights into an amazing amount of community achievements. Two local jurisdictions each received more than one award this year. Clark County will receive a housing award and a Judge’s Merit award. The city of Bellevue will also receive a housing award and share a Judge’s Merit award with King County Parks.

View the full 2024 Governor’s Smart Communities Awards summary (Box PDF).

The Governor’s Smart Communities Awards highlight effective implementation of the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA) and other local or regional planning procedures. Winners are nominated by a panel of independent judges from across the state, and approved by the Governor’s Office. Learn more at https://www.commerce.wa.gov/growth-management/smart-communities/.