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EnergySmart Eastside staff report uptake and funding for heat‑pump incentives; commissioners asked for clarity on grants and resiliency
Summary
City staff briefed the Sustainability Commission on EnergySmart Eastside, a multi‑city heat‑pump program serving Sammamish and five neighboring cities; staff described incentive tiers, secured grant funding and outreach plans while commissioners raised questions about program longevity, grant security and outage resiliency.
City staff provided the commission an update on EnergySmart Eastside — the regional heat‑pump and home‑electrification initiative that includes Sammamish and neighboring Eastside cities — describing program structure, incentive tiers and outreach plans.
Staff said most grant funds already awarded to the regional consortium are contracted and secured and that the program is pursuing additional grant opportunities, including state Climate Commitment Act funds and other sources to expand outreach and incentives. Staff noted one small Department of Energy energy efficiency grant supports a limited number of low‑income installs in the program’s portfolio.
The program has a three‑pronged outreach approach: partner with utilities and contractors, pursue grant funding to lower costs for income‑qualified households, and leverage community “trusted messengers” such as commissioners and volunteers to raise awareness. Staff noted the program has a volunteer advisor track that trains community members to hold one‑on‑one conversations and to guide residents through the contractor and rebate processes.
Questions from commissioners focused on grant security and program assumptions. Staff said grants already awarded are under contract and will be spent; staff are seeking contract amendments or extensions where state grant spending deadlines fall within short timeframes. Commissioners also asked about the 2050 target frequently referenced in regional electrification goals and how the program accounts for power outages. Staff acknowledged resiliency concerns and said solar and battery storage and other measures are part of broader conversations but that outages remain an important question participants raise when considering heat pumps.
Why it matters: Heat‑pump adoption is a near‑term lever for reducing building emissions and for meeting local climate goals, while incentives and targeted outreach affect who benefits and whether lower‑income households access the program.
Program metrics and operational notes provided during the briefing
- Staff reported a rising share of new HVAC installations are heat pumps in participating cities and cited city‑level targets and near‑term goals; staff said each city has local targets and that the consortium tracks code and incentive interactions across jurisdictions.
- Staff said roughly two-thirds of recent HVAC installs in Sammamish were heat pumps (staff-presented figure), and the program’s medium‑term goals include higher adoption rates and improved rebate conversion. Staff described a conversion funnel showing some attrition between rebate applications and completed installs, and said follow‑up and code improvements are planned to improve redemption rates.
- Funding: grants referenced include state Climate Commitment Act funding and a U.S. Department of Energy energy‑efficiency block grant used for a small number of low‑income installs; staff said these funds are contracted and that the program is seeking additional funding and potential deadline extensions for grant spending.
Ending
Staff invited commissioners to join outreach and volunteer advising work and said the program will return with further findings from a pilot study other cities are conducting on expanding incentives (for weatherization and for technologies such as heat‑pump water heaters).
