The City of Bellingham’s efforts to hit its climate goals will get a solar-powered boost.
The Northwest Clean Air Agency (NWCAA) awarded the City of Bellingham a $1.7 million grant for a community solar array project. The energy produced by the array will create revenues of approximately $69,000 per year that will be deposited into a Climate Action Fund, which will be used to fund community climate projects.
“Community members have called on the City to lead on climate action,” Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund said. “Through this funding partnership with NWCAA, we are not only making progress toward our renewable energy goals, but we are also reinvesting our gains toward other projects that help us build a more sustainable and resilient climate future for Bellingham.”
A separate $165,000 grant the City received from the Washington State Department of Commerce will fund a feasibility study, currently underway, to find possible locations for the array. The City has identified 29 potential sites on City property, with the aim to install an array with a total capacity of 1 megawatt, enough to produce an amount of electricity equal to the power needs of around 100 homes per year. The final list of sites will undergo detailed feasibility studies, which will provide detailed information on designs, production estimates, financial projections, and a construction roadmap.
The City’s Climate Action Plan contains a wide selection of ambitious goals that aim to help the City reach net-zero emissions. Through a variety of innovative actions already taken, the City has reduced emissions produced by City government operations by 68 percent compared to 2000 levels.
“With NWCAA’s support, we will generate renewable energy revenue to support a variety of programs for 20-plus years,” City of Bellingham Climate Energy Manager Seth Vidaña said. “It’s a win-win for people and planet.”
The City has also implemented other programs to encourage the use of solar power, including the Bellingham Green Power Challenge, where the City partnered with PSE to encourage residents to enroll in the Green Power Program. Additionally, the City of Bellingham has entered into a 20-year contract with PSE to purchase renewable electricity for all City facilities.
NWCAA is the primary government agency responsible for protecting the air in Island, Skagit, and Whatcom counties, with San Juan County rejoining the agency on July 1. It awarded a total of $3 million in grants to support climate mitigation and resilience projects. Along with the City, the Opportunity Council received a grant for up to $1.3 million to improve energy efficiency, electrification, and climate resilience by installing efficient ductless heat pumps at Mercy Housing’s Sterling Meadows complex in Bellingham, which houses farm workers and their families.
