Cape Flattery, Port Angeles School District among Commerce grant recipients
Published 1:30 am Thursday, April 9, 2026
PORT ANGELES — Six clean energy projects in Clallam and Jefferson counties are among 95 statewide that will receive a total of a $60.3 million from the state Department of Commerce.
Clean energy projects reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing or avoiding fossil fuel use, typically through renewable energy such as solar, electrification, energy efficiency upgrades or energy storage systems.
The largest portion — $34.8 million — will support solar, battery storage, microgrids, biomass and renewable hydrogen projects, the Department of Commerce said.
Cape Flattery School District will receive $2.5 million to improve energy resilience, allowing school facilities to maintain or quickly restore power during outages and keep critical services running.
The Port Angeles School District has been awarded $2.4 million to develop a microgrid at Hurricane Ridge Middle School, which is now under construction. The microgrid will operate independently from the main power grid, allowing the school to continue operating during outages.
PASD capital projects director Nolan Duce said in an email that the project will generate 100 kilowatts of solar power and 200 kilowatts of battery storage, in addition to 60 kilowatts of solar power already planned for the new building.
“This makes our school more resilient and supports emergency management,” Duce said. “This is great for the community as a whole.”
Duce said none of the district’s other schools have microgrids, but the district would consider installing them for the new Franklin Elementary and high school, if opportunities arise.
Clallam County Public Utility District No. 1 has received $3 million for Phase 2 of its grid-hardening project to make its electrical grid more resistant to damage from severe weather and other disruptions.
The Port of Port Townsend has received a technical assistance award for a feasibility study for a microgrid at Boat Haven to be conducted by Cascadia Renewables.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife also received technical assistance funding for a feasibility study for a solar power system at its Sol Duc fish hatchery in Beaver. Habitat Humanity received funding for an energy feasibility study, as well.
The awards build on a separate $16.8 million package of Commerce funding announced March 11 for tribal clean energy projects. Those included $1.36 million to the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe for a microgrid project and $715,897 to the Hoh Indian Tribe for a solar project.
Funding for the projects comes from a mix of federal dollars and state sources, including the state’s Climate Commitment Act, which reinvests revenue from the state’s cap-and-invest system.
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Reporter Paula Hunt contributed to this report.
