Below is a compilation of several resources regarding funding/financing for renewable energy projects, including examples of renewable energy programs offered by local governments. Local government examples:
- Bainbridge Island Climate Action Plan (2020) – Provides possible funding mechanisms for Green Energy and Building Fund, see Appendix C section 3: Energy (p. 135).
- Bellingham Solar and Renewable Energy – Discusses permitting process, incentives, and rebates. Includes this Department of Revenue tax incentives page link with renewable energy/green incentives. Also see the city’s CAP Implementation Plan (2021), which includes renewable energy action items like working with PSE on a community-wide Green Direct Program, developing a Commerce solar grant, and more. Also see the city’s Climate Work page, which includes key projects. The city previously considered a Climate Action Fund (ballot measure) but has paused this effort.
- Edmonds Rooftop Solar Installations – Streamlined expedited permitted process for rooftop mounted residential solar PV systems. References Department of Energy (DOE) Rooftop Solar Challenge grant program and the city’s status as a Northwest Solar Community.
- Issaquah Solar Panel Permits – Streamlined solar permitting process for residents. Notes that the city received a Gold designation from the national SolSmart program for making it faster, easier, and more affordable for homes and businesses to go solar.
- King County - Cities Climate Collaboration: Climate Action Toolkit – Provides a section on opportunities to secure funding (p.23).
- Kirkland Install Residential Rooftop-Mounted Solar Panels – As part of a DOE grant, Kirkland and its grant partners developed a streamlined process for permitting small-scale rooftop-mounted solar installations for single-family residential customers.
- Mercer Island Solar Power – Discusses Solarize Mercer, a partnership between the city, Spark Northwest, and community volunteers.
- Redmond Environmental Sustainability Plan (2020) – Includes funding sources in “Funding” section (p. 91) of the “Implementation and Evaluation Planning” chapter.
- Snohomish Public Utility District
- Whatcom County C-PACER Program – Describes the county’s C-PACER loan program, which allows owners of eligible commercial properties to seek long-term financing from a private capital provider for qualified improvements related to energy and building resiliency. For more information on the C-PACER program, see our 2022 MRSC blog post, Revisiting C-PACER Two Years Later.
Washington State Department of Commerce resources:
Local/regional nonprofits/organizations working in the field of energy transition may be able to provide additional ideas and/or technical assistance. Here are some MRSC is familiar with:
MRSC has many resources on Climate Change, with links to our climate-related blog posts, webinars, and webpages, including:
- Climate Action Funding and Technical Resources
- Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies for Local Governments
- Climate Action Plans
- Local Government Climate Change Documents – Interactive map of climate plans and other climate-related documents. Includes some smaller cities, like Sequim.
- On-Demand Webinars – Includes a link to a recent webinar on climate funding strategies (in the Climate and Sustainability section).
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) green power/solar resources:
Other resources:
- White House: Building a Clean Energy Economy: A Guidebook to the Inflation Reduction Act's Investments in Clean Energy and Climate Action
- C40 Cities: Climate Action and the Inflation Reduction Act: A Guide for Local Government Leaders
- National League of Cities: How Local Governments Can Use Direct Pay on Clean Energy Projects – Includes three local examples from municipal water and power utilities undertaking clean energy projects that are likely eligible to take advantage of the direct pay option.
- US Environmental Protection Agency: Clean Energy Finance Tools and Resources
