Clean Energy Grants

The Washington State Department of Commerce is accepting applications for its Clean Energy Grants program, aimed at accelerating the deployment of clean energy technologies while improving grid resilience and community energy outcomes across the state. This program offers approximately $32 million in funding to support a wide range of clean energy efforts, from construction-ready projects to pre-development planning and community engagement activities. The grant is open to both public and private entities, and applications are due by November 4, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Projects eligible for funding may include the deployment, installation, or construction of clean energy technologies such as solar, energy storage, wind, biomass, geothermal, renewable hydrogen, and other renewable systems. Additional allowable activities include community outreach and education, emergency energy planning, siting and permitting studies, technical assistance, and workforce development. The Department of Commerce places a strong emphasis on projects that are construction-ready and can complete work by June 2027. Equity and community benefit are central to the program’s goals. Priority will be given to projects that serve or meaningfully engage overburdened communities and vulnerable populations. This includes partnerships with tribal governments and tribes' contracted service providers, though tribes are encouraged to apply to the separate Tribal Clean Energy Grants RFA specifically allocated for tribe-led initiatives. Eligible applicants include consumer-owned and investor-owned retail electric utilities, nonprofit organizations, for-profit entities, local governments, state agencies, tribal governments, research institutions, and service providers contracted by tribes. The project must take place in Washington state, and entities must demonstrate their capacity to execute the proposed work effectively. Applicants may request between $50,000 and $2.5 million in grant funding, with awards based on project readiness, community impact, technical feasibility, and the ability to deliver measurable clean energy benefits. Technical assistance is available to applicants interested in solar and energy storage technologies. These applicants may be eligible for a no-cost feasibility study and, if successful, may receive additional construction funding without having to submit a new application. To support applicants, two virtual pre-application conferences will be held: the first on September 30, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. PT and the second on October 15, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. PT. Additionally, a Q&A period is open until October 24, 2025. For detailed program information, including eligibility, submission instructions, and evaluation criteria, applicants should consult the official RFA available through the Department of Commerce. Questions may be directed to EPICgrants@commerce.wa.gov.

Attend a pre-application conference; request a technical feasibility study if applying for solar or storage.