Centralia Coal Transition Board Awards Grant to Franklin Pierce School District
Building on the success of the electric bus initiative
Centralia, Wash. (February 7, 2022) In April 2021 the TransAlta Centralia Coal Transition Grants Energy Technology Board approved a grant award in the amount of $125,000 to support the installation of a 92.5kW solar system at the Franklin Pierce High School STEM building. The energy generated from this array will be sufficient to provide the energy to charge the electric bus provided under a previous coal transition board plus three additional electric buses funded under a separate grant from the Department of Ecology.
The energy and production credit will be put back into the school’s operational budget to focus on supporting future energy projects, facility needs, and educational program. In addition, the school district will utilize the PV system to educate students on the value of alternative energy and how they can do their part to reduce carbon emissions at their school, homes and in the community.
The solar system will be installed on renovated buildings which will host the STEM program for Franklin Pierce High School students. The vision of the STEM project is to provide an inviting and inspirational facility where students can learn about the science that is part of their environment and a place where they can gain skills that will prepare them for their future. The solar generation will be displayed on the digital displays to show how the clean technology can offset a good portion of the energy required by the building.
The Energy Technology Board was formed as a result of the 2011 Agreement between TransAlta and the state of Washington to transition the Centralia plant away from coal-fired operations with one unit shutting down in December 2020 and the second unit in December 2025. The company is investing $55 million into Lewis and South Thurston Counties and the state of Washington through the Coal Transition Boards.
Overview of the Centralia Coal Transition Funding Boards:
Annual payments for the funding boards began in 2012 with the last payment due December 31, 2023. The opportunity to start flowing dollars into projects became effective December 31, 2015.
Weatherization Board ($10M): established to fund energy efficiency and weatherization for the residents, employees, business, non-profit organizations and local governments within Lewis County and South Thurston County; up to $1 million shall be allocated to fund residential energy efficiency and weatherization measures for low-income and moderate-income residents of Lewis County and South Thurston County;
Economic & Community Development Board ($20M): established to fund education, retraining, economic development, and community enhancement; at least $5M shall be allocated to fund education, retraining and economic development specifically targeting the needs of workers displaced from the Centralia facility;
Energy Technology Board ($25M): established to fund energy technologies with the potential to create environmental benefits to the state of Washington.
Centralia Coal Transition Board Supports the City of Vader
Werden Park, a place to bring the community together
Centralia, (February 3, 2022) In September 2021 the Centralia Coal Transition Board approved a grant award of $30,000.00 to support enhancement of the Werden Park located in Vader, Washington. The Park was recently renovated with modern LED lighting, upgraded parking and ADA compliant sidewalks. The grant from the transition board will support the costs of a covered shelter adjacent to the playground. The Werden Park project is a collaborative effort between community residents and leaders and serves as a gathering place to bring the community together. Other grant funding partners include the state of Washington and BNSF.
J.K. Werden Memorial Park was established in 2005 through the generous donation of Vivian Werden, whose in-laws, Bertha and Joseph Werden, had homesteaded in Vader in the 1920s. The city park property is also the home of the City’s 1906 Historic Jail, now used as a museum, which is one of the few original buildings remaining in town.
The Economic & Community Development Board was formed as a result of the 2011 Agreement between TransAlta and the state of Washington. This agreement allows for the Centralia plant to move away from coal-fired operations with one unit shutting down in December 2020 and the second unit in December 2025. TransAlta is investing $55 million into Lewis and South Thurston Counties and the state of Washington through the Coal Transition Boards.
Overview of the Centralia Coal Transition Funding Boards:
Annual payments for the funding boards have been made since 2012 with the last payment due December 31, 2023. The opportunity to start flowing dollars into projects became effective December 31, 2015.
Weatherization Board ($10M): established to fund energy efficiency and weatherization for the residents, employees, business, non-profit organizations and local governments within Lewis County and South Thurston County; up to $1 million shall be allocated to fund residential energy efficiency and weatherization measures for low-income and moderate-income residents of Lewis County and South Thurston County;
Economic & Community Development Board ($20M): established to fund education, retraining, economic development, and community enhancement; at least $5M shall be allocated to fund education, retraining and economic development specifically targeting the needs of workers displaced from the Centralia facility;
Energy Technology Board ($25M): established to fund energy technologies with the potential to create environmental benefits to the state of Washington.
Centralia, Wash. (February 3, 2022) In December 2020 the Centralia Coal Transition Grants Energy Technology Board entered into a Grant Agreement with Olympia Community Solar to support the “Solarize Olympia” Project, a project with the goal of leveraging solar customer’s collective purchasing power to install 50 residential solar installations in Thurston County, Washington. The organization anticipates that these installations could total 200-300kW of new solar capacity and motivate homeowners with electricity savings and providing a clean energy example for neighborhoods. The grant award of $4,150.00 will be matched by Olympia Community Solar.
The Olympia Community Solar 2021 Solarize Campaign resulted in more than 130 solar installations.
Olympia Community Solar was founded with the mission to steward an equitable and accessible transition to clean energy through community solar education, policy, and project development. The goal of the organization is to increase solar access for people of all income levels and backgrounds and to grow the amount of community owned solar in Washington by 2 MWs by the end of the decade.
The Energy Technology Board was formed as a result of the 2011 Agreement between TransAlta and the state of Washington to transition the Centralia plant away from coal-fired operations with one unit shutting down in December 2020 and the second unit in December 2025. The company is investing $55 million into Lewis and South Thurston Counties and the state of Washington through the Coal Transition Boards.
Overview of the Centralia Coal Transition Funding Boards:
Annual payments for the funding boards began in 2012 with the last payment due December 31, 2023. The opportunity to start flowing dollars into projects became effective December 31, 2015.
Weatherization Board ($10M): established to fund energy efficiency and weatherization for the residents, employees, business, non-profit organizations and local governments within Lewis County and South Thurston County; up to $1 million shall be allocated to fund residential energy efficiency and weatherization measures for low-income and moderate-income residents of Lewis County and South Thurston County;
Economic & Community Development Board ($20M): established to fund education, retraining, economic development, and community enhancement; at least $5M shall be allocated to fund education, retraining and economic development specifically targeting the needs of workers displaced from the Centralia facility;
Energy Technology Board ($25M): established to fund energy technologies with the potential to create environmental benefits to the state of Washington.
Centralia Coal Transition Board supports solar for the South Beacon Hill Resilience Hub Project
Centralia, Wash. (February 3, 2022) On April 20, 2021, the Centralia Coal Transition Grants Energy Technology Board entered into a Grant Agreement with the Bethany United Church of Christ (Bethany UCC) to support the installation of a 34.32 kW solar array for the South Beacon Hill Resilience Hub Project. The grant award of $58,446.00 will be leveraged with the Seattle City Light Green Up program. The solar project will lower operating costs and offset electric usage and is designed to help sustain critical loads with recharging battery backup. The project is expected to generate 32,301kW per year and supports the goal to shift the campus off fossil fuels in the next three years.
Bethany UCC, along with Got Green and other partners, are working together on a city wide and neighborhood-based Climate Resilience project which entails providing climate communication and education for the community, building a network of resilience hubs, and building working class leadership.
The Energy Technology Board was formed as a result of the 2011 Agreement between TransAlta and the state of Washington to transition the Centralia plant away from coal-fired operations with one unit shutting down in December 2020 and the second unit in December 2025. The company is investing $55 million into Lewis and South Thurston Counties and the state of Washington through the Coal Transition Boards.
Overview of the Centralia Coal Transition Funding Boards:
Annual payments for the funding boards began in 2012 with the last payment due December 31, 2023. The opportunity to start flowing dollars into projects became effective December 31, 2015.
Weatherization Board ($10M): established to fund energy efficiency and weatherization for the residents, employees, business, non-profit organizations and local governments within Lewis County and South Thurston County; up to $1 million shall be allocated to fund residential energy efficiency and weatherization measures for low-income and moderate-income residents of Lewis County and South Thurston County;
Economic & Community Development Board ($20M): established to fund education, retraining, economic development, and community enhancement; at least $5M shall be allocated to fund education, retraining and economic development specifically targeting the needs of workers displaced from the Centralia facility;
Energy Technology Board ($25M): established to fund energy technologies with the potential to create environmental benefits to the state of Washington.
Coal Transition Board Awards Energy Grant to Mary M. Knight School District
Grant to help build solar project to support campus and electric bus
(Centralia, February 1, 2022) In March 2021 the Centralia Coal Transition Grants Energy Technology Board approved a $34,030 grant to the Mary M. Knight School District (MMK) to support the installation of a 24 kW solar PV array on the south-facing roof of the bus barn located on the Matlock, Washington campus site. The system will be net metered to offset the electricity consumption of the entire campus. The utility savings provided by the solar system will go towards additional educational resources for students and necessary facility upgrades.
The MMK solar project is supported by the Renewable Schools Program and Clean Energy/Bright Futures Programs offered through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. These programs provide opportunities for grant funding to install on-site renewable generation and leverages the installation to integrate energy-focused, career-connected learning into the school’s STEM system.
MMK is in rural western-Washington, serves approximately 160 students K-12, and is located approximately 25 miles from the nearest community center. In 2020 MMK received a grant award of $310,000 from the state of Washington to replace a diesel school bus with an electric bus. The solar array on the bus barn will provide 100% of the electricity required to charge the electric bus daily.
The Energy Technology Board was formed as a result of the 2011 Agreement between TransAlta and the state of Washington to transition the Centralia plant away from coal-fired operations with one unit shutting down in December 2020 and the second unit in December 2025. The company is investing $55 million into Lewis and South Thurston Counties and the state of Washington through the Coal Transition Boards.
Overview of the Centralia Coal Transition Funding Boards:
Annual payments for the funding boards began in 2012 with the last payment due December 31, 2023. The opportunity to start flowing dollars into projects became effective December 31, 2015.
Weatherization Board ($10M): established to fund energy efficiency and weatherization for the residents, employees, business, non-profit organizations and local governments within Lewis County and South Thurston County; up to $1 million shall be allocated to fund residential energy efficiency and weatherization measures for low-income and moderate-income residents of Lewis County and South Thurston County;
Economic & Community Development Board ($20M): established to fund education, retraining, economic development, and community enhancement; at least $5M shall be allocated to fund education, retraining and economic development specifically targeting the needs of workers displaced from the Centralia facility;
Energy Technology Board ($25M): established to fund energy technologies with the potential to create environmental benefits to the state of Washington.
