More than $14 million in Energy Efficiency Retrofits grants are available.  Applications are open until September 25, 2024.

Applicants must be public entities in the state of Washington:

• Local agencies, including any city, town, county, special district, municipal corporation, agency, port district or authority
• Public higher education institutions
• K-12 public school districts
• State agencies
• Federally-recognized tribe within Washington

Covered buildings pursuing the Clean Buildings Performance Standard prioritized, and facilities of any size are eligible to apply. The grant is open to leased facilities, if the lease extends beyond the useful life of the improvement measure.  An energy audit is required, and the cost of the energy audit will be reimbursed to grantees as long as it was conducted after July 1, 2023.

Match funds required are 15% or 5% for projects in overburdened communities.  Eligible project size is $100,000 to $1,000,000.

For K-12 school districts only, Commerce will accept a concept paper if submitted by September 25, with the full application then due within 30 days. See the Energy Efficiency program webpage for Application materials including the RFA and Q&A.

Questions? Please contact Kristen Kalbrener, program manager, at [email protected]

Get expert help from PSE on Clean Buildings Law compliance

PSE supports building owners and operators to comply with Washington state’s Clean Buildings Law, even if they use electricity from other utilities like Seattle City Light, Tacoma Power or Snohomish PUD.

Our Clean Buildings Accelerator program unpacks the complex law, meets you where you’re at with your energy use and goals, and coaches you to comply through a hands-on series of virtual trainings.  We use your own building(s) as examples and help you leverage PSE’s energy management and incentive programs to meet and exceed your benchmarking targets.

Space in the Clean Buildings Accelerator program is limited for these last 2 sessions of 2024 and compliance dates are quickly creeping up for the largest buildings. Visit pse.com/cleanbuildings to learn more and join one of our upcoming information sessions on Sept 18 or Oct 15. The next training cohorts begin Sept. 11 and Oct 29.

Uncertain about the Clean Buildings Law or our Accelerator program? Check out this short video. If you have questions or need more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Opportunities for improving building efficiency can be found in unexpected places. Download this case study from CLEAResult detailing how retrofitting backup generators with Hotstart high efficiency heat pumps for engine heating reduces annual kilowatt draw and energy costs by up to 75%. Just one more item to check on building efficiency audit lists!

As Congress Required, DOE Finalizes Standards That Decrease Emissions for New and Renovated Federal Buildings Across the Nation, Slashing Harmful Carbon Emissions by 2 Million Metric Tons

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that it has delivered on Congress’s mandate to cut emissions from new or newly renovated federal buildings through the Clean Energy for New Federal Buildings and Major Renovations of Federal Buildings Rule. By meeting the requirements of the Rule, federal buildings will reduce pollution, improve air quality, create good-paying jobs, and take advantage of cost savings from using more energy-efficient equipment. These measures will help advance the adoption of cleaner, more efficient technologies for buildings that will lead the way to achieving President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan goal of net-zero emissions from all federal buildings by 2045.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is practicing what we preach. Just as we are helping households and businesses across the nation save money by saving energy, we are doing the same in our own federal buildings,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

“President Biden has charged the Federal Government to lead by example by transforming its footprint of over 300,000 buildings to be more energy efficient and climate resilient, which means cleaner air and safer communities across the country,” said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. “Today’s action will help our Federal Government achieve President Biden’s ambitious Federal sustainability goals while creating good-paying jobs, saving taxpayers money, and building healthier, more resilient communities.”

This Rule, which implements the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, requires federal agencies to phase out fossil fuel usage in new federal building construction or major renovation by achieving a 90% reduction in fossil fuel use for new projects started between fiscal years 2025 and 2029 and completely eliminating on-site fossil fuel usage in new projects beginning in 2030.

DOE estimates that over the next 30 years, the new rule will reduce carbon emissions from federal buildings by 2 million metric tons and methane emissions by 16 thousand tons—an amount roughly equivalent to the emissions generated by nearly 310,000 homes in one year, while also reducing infrastructure costs.

Today’s final rule, in conjunction with Executive Order 14057 and other Federal Sustainability Plan actions, including Federal Building Performance Standard, strengthens progress to achieve net-zero emissions in federal buildings by 2045 by eliminating on-site fossil fuel emissions, also known as Scope 1 emissions. DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) will issue supplemental guidance that provides agencies with pathways for compliance. DOE FEMP will support agencies as they work to meet these targets by providing resources, opportunities for grant funding, training, and technical assistance.

The final rule represents the result of a robust engagement process in which DOE interacted with a wide spectrum of federal stakeholders, whose feedback was instrumental to informing the final standard. The new rule aims to accelerate clean energy deployment within the federal building stock by phasing out on-site fossil-fuel usage for end-uses such as heating and water heating.

For more information, visit the Clean Energy Rule webpage.

First Comprehensive Federal Strategy Outlines Pathways to Reduce Emissions 90% in Buildings Sector by 2050, Reinforcing President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to Lower Energy Costs, Improve Resilience, and Tackle the Climate Crisis

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden-Harris Administration today released Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector, a comprehensive plan to reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions from buildings by 65% by 2035 and 90% by 2050. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) led the Blueprint’s development in collaboration with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other federal agencies. The Blueprint is the first sector-wide strategy for building decarbonization developed by the federal government, underscoring President Biden’s whole-of-government approach to cutting harmful carbon emissions and achieving the nation’s ambitious clean energy and climate goals.

“America’s building sector accounts for more than a third of the harmful emissions jeopardizing our air and health, but the Biden-Harris Administration has developed a forward-looking strategy to slash these pollutants from buildings across the nation,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “As part of a whole-of-government approach, DOE is outlining for the first time ever a comprehensive federal plan to reduce energy in our homes, schools, and workplaces—lowering utility bills and creating healthier communities while combating the climate crisis.”

Read the Full Announcement