OLYMPIA — New state funding aimed at clean energy projects is making its way to several tribal communities on the North Olympic Peninsula, with a focus on reliability, cost savings, and long-term planning.
The Washington State Department of Commerce announced more than 16 million dollars in grants statewide, with local tribes among those receiving support for solar and energy storage projects.
In Sequim, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe is set to receive about 1.3 million dollars for a solar and battery system at the Dungeness River Nature Center. The project is intended to keep the facility operating during outages while reducing ongoing energy costs.
Near Forks, the Hoh Tribe is getting more than 700-thousand dollars for a similar microgrid project tied to its resiliency and administration center—part of an effort to maintain critical services during power disruptions.
And in Neah Bay, funding will go toward developing a climate action plan for the Makah Tribe, looking at how to prepare for and adapt to changing conditions in the years ahead.
State officials say the projects are part of a broader push to strengthen infrastructure in tribal communities, though the work will roll out over time as projects move from planning into construction.