Wedged between the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges and buffeted by lakes, rivers, and the awe-inspiring Puget Sound, Seattle has a legacy of environmental stewardship and a culture of innovation. Combined with thoughtful leadership on climate change, these are the driving forces behind the city’s aggressive goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The city of Seattle partnered with EERE and several community organizations to meet its energy efficiency and carbon reduction goals. Seattle and its program partners created Community Power Works (CPW) to provide a comprehensive energy efficiency upgrade program that combines outreach, financing, and incentives. CPW helps existing residential, commercial, and institutional buildings across the city lower their energy use by 15%-50% and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Seattle also formed innovative financing partnerships to spur energy efficiency upgrades to homeowners, one home at a time. Working with Craft3, a community development financial institution, Seattle households are able to finance their efficiency improvements at low interest rates with repayments via their utility bills from Seattle City Light.. In addition, the city formed a partnership with Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union to offer affordable low-interest residential energy efficiency loans.  Since 2010, the program has upgraded more than 3,000 homes, 1.5 million square feet of commercial space, and created over 1,000 jobs.  

Positive Impact

The City of Seattle and several community organizations are working to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

Locations

Seattle, Washington

Partners

Community Power Works

EERE Investment

$20 million

Clean Energy Sector

Energy-saving homes, buildings, and manufacturing

The Buildings Technologies Office (BTO) leads a vast network of research and industry partners to continually develop innovative, cost-effective energy saving solutions—better products, better new homes, better ways to improve older homes, and better buildings in which we work, shop, and lead our everyday lives.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) success stories highlight the positive impact of its work with businesses, industry partners, universities, research labs, and other entities.