King County awarded $50 million EPA grant to implement clean energy efforts

(The Center Square) – King County Executive Dow Constantine on Tuesday announced a $50 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to go toward efforts at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and construction throughout the Puget Sound region.

The funding comes from the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program created under the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act.

“Through the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, EPA is partnering with states and local communities to make the largest investments ever in green buildings, clean energy transportation, and climate justice, and the Pacific Northwest continues to lead the way," said EPA Regional Administrator Casey Sixkiller in an EPA news release announcing the grant.

The building sector makes up nearly 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the Puget Sound region, according to a news release put out by Constantine's office.

King County is partnering with fellow Puget Sound counties: Pierce, Kitsap and Snohomish. The collective intends to use the grant funds for a number of clean energy initiatives. One particular carbon reduction effort the counties will explore is implementing a unique system to reuse wood when a building is deconstructed to avoid producing carbon emissions.

The systematic disassembly of a building for reuse differs from standard demolitions by offering a wider range of benefits including lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced waste disposal and less stormwater pollution.

According to Rockethomes , deconstruction can cost in the range of $8 to $16 per square foot, whereas demolition can cost $4 to $10 per square foot.

Other uses of the $50 million grant include:

Electrifying over 600 affordable housing units, 150 home-based care centers, and 55 nonprofit community buildings;Replacing 300 gas-fueled water heaters in homes with heat pump water heaters; andInvesting in the electrification within low-income communities.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said the city worked closely with King County on the funding proposal to advance their shared climate goals. Harrell added that Seattle will work to decarbonize its own buildings.

“The city will support grant implementation through decarbonizing commercial and multifamily buildings in Seattle, prioritizing affordable housing and communities overburdened by the impacts of climate change,” Harrell noted.