TransAlta Coal Transition Board Awards $175k to Tenino School District
July 10, 2017
TransAlta Coal Transition Board Awards $175k to Tenino School District
Grant to help build solar project at Tenino High School, reducing carbon emissions and utility costs
Centralia, Wash. – The TransAlta Centralia Coal Transition Grants Energy Technology Board announced today it has approved a $175,000 grant to the Tenino School District to support the construction of an 86kW solar project at the Tenino High School. Producing renewable energy, the 86kW solar project will reduce carbon emissions by nearly 60 metric tons per year and cut utility costs, which will allow the District to further invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
The $175,000 grant will be leveraged with funding received from the Washington Department of Commerce to fully fund the solar project.
“The Tenino School District is deeply grateful to the Energy Technology Board and the Department of Commerce for these generous grants,” said Kasey Schiewe, president of the Tenino School District Board. “This solar project will become an important educational tool for our students at Tenino High School and will demonstrate for our community the benefits of renewable energy. The cost savings from generating our own renewable power will help our District in reducing utility costs and fund further school instructional programs.”
“TransAlta and the coal transition grant boards are committed to helping to accelerate Washington’s path to a lower carbon future, and this project adds renewable energy, reduces carbon emissions and will serve as an important educational tool for students in our community,” said Conrad Wieclaw, coal transition grant board member and supervisor, plant engineer at TransAlta Centralia. “We look forward to seeing how this exciting project benefits students, faculty and community members.”
“We are excited to have this solar project at Tenino High School to enhance our science programs by providing a real-life application of renewable energy,” said Dr. Garry Cameron, principal of Tenino High School. “On behalf of the students, parents and teachers of Tenino High School, we want to thank TransAlta, the Energy Technology Board and the state of Washington for making this solar project and its real-life learning applications possible.”
The Tenino School District is a rural public school district located within the City of Tenino. With a staff of 30 the Tenino High School serves approximately 360 students in grades 9-12. After carefully assessing the school district facilities the high school was chosen as it has a new composition roof with very little shading.
As part of the historic agreement between TransAlta and the state of Washington to transition the Centralia facility off coal, TransAlta is investing $55 million into the local community and the state of Washington through its coal transition grant boards. Since January 1, 2016 the transition boards have committed approximately $3.7 million in grants to fund renewable energy, weatherization and energy efficiency projects. Grantees include Centralia College, the Community Action Council of Lewis, Mason & Thurston Counties, Tenino School District, the Historic Fox Theatre and others.
Overview of the Centralia Coal Transition Funding Boards:
Annual payments for the funding boards have been made for the past five years 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.
For more information on the Centralia Coal Transition Funding Boards visit: http://cctgrants.com