Energize - Community Spaces

What does the program provide?

This program provides the following services to community spaces:

     Technical assistance to better understand energy usage within a building, develop a plan to reduce GHG emissions and improve comfort of building occupants, and create a project plan for the installation of weatherization and electric heat pump heating/cooling systems.

 

    Heat pump installation to provide high efficiency heating and cooling

 

     Insulation, air sealing, and ventilation (also known as weatherization) to improve energy efficiency, health, and comfort

 

King County will manage all installations, including covering the costs of equipment and materials, and hiring and paying contractors. This is not a grant program.

Who is eligible for this program?

• Non-government community entities that own, operate, or lease a building that meets the following criteria:
  • Serves as a community gathering space or offers a community service1 (for example: foodbanks, places of worship, community centers, skills training centers, etc.)
  • Is located in King, Kitsap, Pierce, or Snohomish Counties.
  • Is located in or serves frontline communities.

For the purposes of this program, community spaces are defined as buildings that serve as gathering spaces and/or provide in-person, onsite community services.

Definitions

Buildings - Enclosed structures that are fully protected from the elements.
Gathering spaces - Indoor areas in which large groups of people intentionally congregate (for example: community centers, community performing arts centers, school buildings, etc.).
Spaces that provide community services - Indoor areas used for in-person, onsite activities that directly enable people to improve their lives (for example: skills training sites, food banks, libraries, etc.).

This program prioritizes community spaces located in frontline communities, defined as those located in any of the following geographies:

• Puget Sound Clean Air Agency overburdened communities 
• WA Environmental Health Disparities Map score of 9 or more 
• 2024 U.S. EPA defined low-income and disadvantaged communities  

Generally, these geographies share poorer air and soil quality, higher noise pollution, closer proximity to hazardous waste treatment and storage facilities, and greater risk of related negative health outcomes. Additionally, they experience reduced resiliency to climate change. 

Search your address on the map at the bottom of this page to see if your property is located in a frontline community geography.

Program Cost

King County will cover 100% of costs of installations within the project scope (up to $100,000 in costs), including managing all installation contractors and covering costs of equipment, materials, and labor.

How do I apply?

Applications are now open!

• Click, tap or enter to apply.
• Join us for the January 22, 2026 information session-- register.
• Support for completing the program application is available on a limited basis. If your organization would like to request support filling out the application, please review the program information below and then complete the Application Support Request Form. 

Please review instructions and a list of application questions to support information collection and drafting short narrative responses before completing the online application.