For decades, Clark Public Utilities has run programs that encourage customers to adopt energy efficient technologies in their homes and businesses. A new program, however, is providing grants to nonprofits to make energy efficient or renewable energy investments of their own.
The utility’s Community Grant Program recently gave $120,000 to Vancouver-based Second Step Housing, which provides affordable housing to low-income families who’ve experienced homelessness.
Second Step Housing used the grant to install ductless heat pumps in 22 of its affordable housing units. Ductless heat pumps, often called mini-splits, have become popular in recent years as an affordable alternative to installing a full, ducted heat pump in a home or housing unit.
Installing all those heat pumps would have cost the organization around $360,000 under other circumstances, said Tim Foley, Second Step’s executive director.
“For us, that’s a pretty big project,” Foley said.
In addition to the grant, Clark Public Utilities provided additional funding from its low-income pilot program. Foley’s team got manufacturer discounts for buying so many units and discounted installation from a local contractor.
“All of these … together really helped us pull this thing off,” Foley said.
Foley said big capital projects can be difficult to fund. Most of the nonprofit’s housing units were built 20 to 25 years ago.
Because Second Step didn’t need to spend $360,000 on this project, the nonprofit can hang on to its capital replacement reserves for other, needed upgrades down the line, Foley said.
The Community Grant Program stemmed from $250,000 of COVID-era low-income tax credits. The utility’s board of commissioners sanctioned the program, the brainchild of a utility employee, two years ago.
Clark Public Utilities has granted about $130,000 of that original funding this year, said Dameon Pesanti, the utility’s spokesman. More funding might be available in the future.
The utility has traditionally offered residential customers rebates for projects such as installing energy-efficient heat pumps, improving weatherization and adding smart thermostats. For large industrial clients, the utility offers incentives for things like replacing old commercial lights.
The utility says the incentives have been effective at lowering power usage in the county — and lowering customer energy bills.
“Energy conservation programs have been a tremendous reason why our region has managed to keep its power consumption relatively flat despite the population booming,” Pesanti said.
He said such programs are why the utility hasn’t had to build lots of power plants or transmission lines. The Community Grant Program helps the utility extend those energy conservation benefits to low-income and vulnerable populations through the nonprofits that serve them, Pesanti said.
“The result is a win for these organizations and also for the utility,” he said.
