Kent United Methodist Church recently received a $102,000 solar power grant from Puget Sound Energy, which will reduce the church’s annual energy costs as well as its carbon footprint.

The grant was awarded through PSE Green energy and Solar choice programs to help the church install a new solar panel.

Kent UMC is one of 13 organizations and tribes in PSE’s service area receiving a portion of nearly $1 million in total grants, awarded in December 2021, to enable them to install new solar projects. Kent UMC will have a 40 kW DC-sized solar array, delivering approximately 41,348 kWh per year, which will help them offset nearly 75% of their annual energy consumption. MAD Energy NW helped the church with the grant writing and solar panel installation process.

“Kent UMC is known for its strong community ties and extensive environmental efforts, which PSE is proud to support,” said Will Einstein, Director of New Product Development at PSE. “Our partnership is an example of how we can work together to bring clean energy to all of our customers.”

Annual generation from all grant-funded projects will total approximately 514,000 kWh per year, which is equivalent to powering nearly 50 homes each year with newly installed solar energy from the Puget Sound area. Solar installations help local organizations reduce their operating costs while reducing their carbon footprint by using the renewable energy they have generated.

“This grant will help us take the next step in our transition to renewable energy while partnering with PSE to further educate our congregation, our wider community, United Methodist churches in the Pacific Northwest and across our country. “said Jim Head-Corliss, Senior Pastor at Kent UMC. “We look forward to sharing the positive benefits of renewable energy with a wide range of faith communities in the greater Kent region.”

Recipients of this solar grant range from local non-profit organizations, housing authorities, and tribal entities serving low-income and Black, Indigenous and of Color (BIPOC) community members. In addition to saving beneficiaries money on their utilities, the projects will serve to promote clean energy in the region.

In addition to nearly $1 million in facility grants awarded this year, PSE has provided an additional $2.4 million in grants for 35 local projects over the past 4 years, resulting in more than 1 100 kW of newly installed solar capacity and nearly 1,100,000 kWh of annual generation. PSE’s Green Power Solar Grant program will open applications for its next competitive funding round at the end of June 2022.