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.
Coal Transition Board funds $1 Million in Solar Projects
Grants support Washington’s goal of producing new clean, renewable energy
Centralia, (January 31, 2022) The Energy Technology Board is pleased to announce approval to fund 8 proposed solar projects throughout the state of Washington with a total investment of approximately $1 million. Benefiting communities across the state, the solar projects range in size from 43.5kW to 133kW.
Projects approved include the following:
Applicant
Funding Amount
Size
City of College Place
$202,909.00
100kW
City of Cheney
$160,000.00
100kW
City of Connell
$165,000.00
100kW
City of Mabton
$100,000.00
100kW
City of Pateros
$60,000.00
43.5kW
Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe
$130,111.00
133.76kW
Central Area Senior Center
$126,639.00
75.8kW
Prescott School District
$107,000.00
100kW
These projects will provide energy savings and production credits that can be used to support other aspects of the local organization’s budgets. All projects will be utilizing made in Washington equipment and will provide for job opportunities.
The Energy Technology Board currently has an annual cap of $1M for funding solar projects. Based on the board’s decision to grant the projects noted above, funding for new solar projects will not be considered until January 2023.
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 awards grant to King County Metro Transit to support project to deploy electric buses
Centralia, (January 20, 2022) The Centralia Coal Transition Grants Energy Technology Board is excited to announce it has approved a $1,000,000 grant submitted on behalf of the King County Metro Transit (Metro) to support the siting, design, and construction of a substation and bus charging power supply components to deploy electric buses. This project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Metro operations and eliminate carbon and other toxic air pollution affecting vulnerable, disproportionately impacted communities within Metro’s service area and the larger region.
The project, the South Base Test Facility is located on Metro’s South Base in the City of Tukwila. The facility will have 12 charging locations supported by three charger manufacturers. When completed it will be the only one of its kind in North America. In addition to the environmental improvements of operating all electric buses, the facility will provide training opportunities for Metro’s maintenance and operations staff while providing a critical showpiece for Metro’s efforts to expand its outreach programs to students in neighboring schools and technical colleges to study the technologies that will support electrification of the transportation sector. The purpose of the Energy Technology Board is to identify worthwhile and effective energy technologies to create energy, air quality, haze, or other environmental benefits for the State of Washington. As a board we agreed that supporting a project that provides direct benefits to the state aligns with the mission of the board. The bonus to this project is the learning opportunity it will provide to staff, high school and college students.
The Energy Technology Board was formed as a result of the 2011 Agreement between TransAlta and the state of Washington with the intent to fund projects with the potential to create environmental benefits to the state of Washington. This agreement allowed 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.
King County Metro Transit provides service to 2.3 million people and is approximately 2,134 square miles. The entire geographic area covers King County, portions of Snohomish County and Pierce County. It is among the ten largest transit agencies in the United States, with approximately 1,400 buses.
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.
