Community Research & Project Support

Prep call with CEI — month 0

• Explore the scope of your interests in clean energy.
• Discuss specific data and analysis for an identified federal opportunity.
• Discuss opportunities to fit a range of possible goals,such as creating a community resiliency hub in case of a Cascadia quake, meeting decarbonization targets, or lowering energy bills for low-income residents in tribal housing.
• Explore technical and economic opportunities to launch a new tribal enterprise that sells power to a utility.

Preliminary data review — month 1

• Identify data that is relevant to project goals.
• Retrieve metering data through online utility accounts.
• Work with utilities to gather additional data.
• Create a model dataset using (for example) national data adapted to local conditions.

Project scope statement — months 2-3

• Community liaisons partner with CEI to outline the basic scope, goals, and deliverables for the project.
• Work back from a due date for a funding opportunity to set intermediate and final goals.

Project execution — months 3-9

• Weekly one-hour meetings between community liasons and CEI, with updates on work done,reasons for decisions, and progress toward goals.
• Project site visit to fulfill partner goals such as a presentation to leadership or a classroom visit (UW CEI has a K-12 education program supported by professional staff and graduate trainees).

Within the UW Engineering Industry Capstone Program, CEI established the Community Capstones in Clean Energy course (CHEM E 497B) for UW Engineering senior undergraduates to work hands-on with Washington communities. Community Capstone students work with CEI director Daniel T. Schwartz, Testbeds senior staff scientist Dr. Bosong Li (see “Technical Analysis”), and community representatives to co-develop clean energy solutions.

Technical analysis is performed at the Washington Clean Energy Testbeds within its Systems Integration Testbed. The sophisticated computer model of a microgrid is operated by a Testbeds senior staff scientist on a world-class Real Time Digital Simulator. The model is based on UW CEI analysis of the Snohomish PUD-Clean Energy Fund microgrid.

The Testbeds user agreement extends data privacy and control of intellectual property to sovereign nations and nonprofit organizations as well as entrepreneurs and companies.

A microgrid is a modular energy generation, storage, and distribution system that behaves as a single entity with respect to a main power grid. A typical design could include a solar panel, a battery, and an inverter with software to manage the flow of electricity.

Microgrids can operate while connected to the grid or independent of the grid. They can help reduce local energy costs by optimizing collective usage, generate revenues by selling excess power back to a utility or a user on the main grid, and provide a resilient source of power if a main grid experiences an outage.

Over the past 10 years, Washington legislators have invested millions in clean energy projects via the Clean Energy Fund. In 2019, the Clean Energy Transformation Act mandated utilities to decarbonize their electricity generation by 2045 and to create equity advisory groups for community oversight of new energy projects.

The 2021 Climate Commitment Act is a “cap-and-invest” policy built on these foundations: it establishes statewide carbon emissions targets for major industries that ratchet down towards 2050, auctions off permits to businesses, and earmarks the revenues for clean energy research, development, demonstration, and deployment. At least 35% of the revenues must be invested in  energy-burdened communities, including urban communities bearing disproportionate health burdens from historical energy use, rural communities vulnerable to high energy prices and a changing climate, and tribal nations that are pursuing resilient energy sovereignty.

The first year of CCA carbon permit auctions raised over $1.8 billion to decarbonize Washington’s economy, significantly exceeding projected revenues of $575 million.

State programs include:

• WA Commerce — Clean Energy Fund
  • Example: Seattle Parks & Rec / Seattle City Light — Miller Community Center microgrid
• WA Ecology — Climate Commitment Act
  • Tribal carbon offset assistance program

The federal Justice40 initiative directs 40% of the benefits from major investments in the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), and the CHIPS & Science Act for communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by energy production and climate change. As trillions of dollars are being invested in electrification, clean energy deployments, and climate technology research and development, communities have extraordinary opportunities to win support from various agencies with billions in grant funding for projects ranging from resiliency centers for power outages to electrifying agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation.

Federal programs include:

• USDA Rural Energy for America Program
• US DOE Office of Indian Energy (various)