Tribes in Southwest Washington will receive more than $4.5 million in funds from the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) to fund clean energy projects, according to an announcement from the Washington state Department of Commerce.
On Tuesday, the Commerce Department announced that five tribes throughout the state would receive $7.5 million in grant funding, part of $16 million earmarked for tribal clean energy projects. Additionally, the CCA includes $67 million for projects that advance environmental justice and equity.
According to the Commerce Department, the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation will receive $251,000 to build a 121-kilowatt roof-mounted solar installation on the tribe’s community center, and to conduct a feasibility study on the potential for future battery storage.
“This is a great opportunity for the Chehalis Tribe and the Department of Commerce to work together on the common goal of reducing our carbon footprint within Washington state,” Chehalis Tribal Chairman Dustin Klatush said in a statement. “The tribe’s use of solar panels at our community center will bring immediate results toward that goal while embarking on a feasibility study to develop additional strategies for the future. This award is truly a win-win.”
The Cowlitz Indian Tribe will receive $1.7 million to build a 100-kilowatt solar array and battery energy storage system on administrative and clinic buildings that will power the buildings and provide supplemental power for electric vehicle charging. Willapa Bay Enterprises, which was established by the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, will receive $2,740,000 to “support the design, permitting, siting and construction of technology that produces zero emission hydrogen from ocean wave energy.” The Department of Commerce is expected to announce additional grant recipients later this year.
“The Climate Commitment Act recognizes that communities will not feel the effects of climate change equally,” Commerce Director Mike Fong said in a statement. “We know that there is a history of (the) government assuming it knows best when it comes to what communities need, and we’re intentionally reversing that thought process. We hope this is the first of many funding opportunities that responds directly to what people tell us they need.”
