The Washington State Department of Commerce on Thursday announced nearly $40 million in grants for local programs that are helping homes and businesses shift from fossil fuel heat to electric heat pump systems that provide warmth and cooling. Recipients include multiple Native American organizations.
- The programs receiving support target families and communities with low-income residents and people most impacted by climate change and pollution.
- King County, which includes Seattle and other tech-focused cities, is receiving $2.6 million for an effort that is installing heat pumps in low-income households and in-home daycare centers. Seattle is receiving nearly $3.2 million, while Energy Smart Eastside is getting almost $3.2 million.
- The funding comes from the state’s Climate Commitment Act, a program that caps carbon emissions from the largest polluters. Initiative 2117, a measure on November’s ballot, would eliminate the act.
