Tumwater signs onto Energize Thurston campaign to help residents install heat pumps 

Tumwater has joined a countywide program to help residents install home heat pumps.  

On Tuesday, Jan. 7, the Tumwater City Council authorized the mayor to sign an interlocal agreement with other jurisdictions in the county to implement the Energize Thurston campaign.  

The agreement is with Thurston County, Olympia, Lacey and Tenino. 

The campaign seeks to assist households with home improvements related to electrification and efficiency, but the agreement focuses on helping residents install heat pumps. 

Income-qualified households would benefit from the free or partially subsidized purchase and installation of heat pumps.  

Other home upgrades to support the heat pumps, such as electrical panels and duct sealing, will be covered. 

Households with incomes in the 79% media area or less are qualified for the full subsidy, while households qualified to get partial subsidies would need to contribute around $2,500 or 20% of the costs. 

The city has more than $400,00 in subsidies for the program. 

The city council also authorized the mayor to sign a service provider agreement with South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity to administer the program for the city. 

Habitat for Humanity will handle income verification, equipment installation and customer support, as well as supporting the workshops that applicants are required to participate in.  

For its part, Tumwater will provide case management for its residents. 

Households that are not income-qualified will still benefit from the program through discounts that the county, which is leading the campaign, negotiates with installers. 

The city received $477,540 from the Washington Department of Commerce to finance the program. Habitat for Humanity would get $57,000 as part of its contract, while $12,000 would go toward the shared administration of the campaign with other jurisdictions in the county. 

Service agreements with TRPC 

The council also authorized the mayor to sign a service provider agreement with the Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) to conduct an updated analysis of the city’s land capacity.

The analysis is a component of the city’s proposed Habitat Conversation Plan (HCP), which would permit development in areas where species listed under the Endangered Species Act are present.

Medrud said that a land capacity study for the HCP was conducted five years ago. The city is seeking to update it alongside a newer draft version of the HCP, which he said will be available by spring. 

The council also authorized the mayor to sign another service provider agreement with TRPC to review the city’s land use designations, as part of the ongoing comprehensive plan update. 

Medrud said TRPC would run models based on development potential to inform what land use designations and zoning the city could eventually adopt in the coming years.