Clean energy projects for Washington groups including public utilities, the Yakama Nation, and others will receive funding from grants announced this week by the U.S. Department of Energy and the state’s Department of Commerce.
The Yakama Nation will receive up to $32 million from DOE to accelerate a project to create a “cutting-edge system” that will transform open-water irrigation canals into an in-ground pipeline system that will generate micro-hydropower and solar energy. The upgrade will conserve water and save residents money on their utility bills, according to DOE.
The project includes additional plans to install solar panels on the Yakama Nation’s land in areas that do not overlap with cultural resources. The effort also has a workforce component, training and hiring tribal members to do some of the work.
The grant comes from DOE’s Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) program, which targets historically underserved communities. The funding was allocated in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“This announcement is great news for the Yakama Nation as they continue to work on improving grid resilience, boost their renewable energy supply, and strengthen service reliability,” said U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., in a statement.
The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced $8.1 million in clean energy grants to public utilities, cities, tribes, a school district and others groups.
The 14 grants will pay for a variety of technologies, including the creation of microgrids, which are power systems that serve a smaller community and are not connected to regional grids. The grants will fund studies and installations of microgrids, solar panels, battery storage and other clean energy solutions.
The money comes from the state’s 11-year-old Clean Energy Fund.
