The Washington State Department of Commerce is accepting applications for $4.85 million in Clean Energy Siting and Permitting (CESP) grants to help local governments and tribes improve the siting and permitting of clean energy projects across Washington state.
Donor Name: Washington State Department of Commerce
State: Washington
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/09/2025
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The CESP program funds planning and process improvements that reduce barriers, streamline reviews, and help communities prepare for clean energy projects such as solar, wind, and energy storage. Eligible activities include predevelopment work for potential sites, land use studies, planning efforts such as planned actions or programmatic environmental impact statements, and hiring staff to make the permitting process faster and more predictable.
Priority will be given to
- Applicants that demonstrate project readiness with a detailed plan to start immediately upon award.
- Applicants that present clear objectives with a feasible, detailed plan including necessary pre-development and feasibility work.
- Projects that focus specifically on clean energy siting and permitting within Washington.
- Tribes and their authorized representatives.
- For applicants other than tribes, applicants that have received, reviewed or proposed a permitting application since 2022 for clean energy projects of at least 10 megawatt (MW) capacity (renewable, non-emitting, energy storage, or a combination).
Funding Information
Commerce intends to award multiple contracts through this RFA. The minimum award amount is $30K and the maximum award amount for a single award is $1,200,000.
Eligible Projects
Projects must directly improve clean energy siting and permitting processes in Washington. Examples include:
- Pre-development work for clean energy project sites
- Land use studies and planned actions
- Programmatic environmental impact statements (EIS)
- Hiring staff or consultants to speed up permitting
- Improving permitting workflows and interagency coordination
Eligibility Criteria
- Port districts
- Counties, cities and towns
- Special-purpose districts
- Other municipal or quasi-municipal corporations
- Federally recognized tribes
Commerce will prioritize grants based on project readiness, recent or active clean energy siting and permitting activities, and alignment with proviso goals.
For more information, visit Washington State Department of Commerce.
