A Wildcat Welcome for the Washington Senate Energy Committee
On Friday, September 19, 2025 we welcomed twelve members of the Washington Senate Energy, Environment, and Technology Committee, including three senators representing communities across our state (Sen. Shewmake, Sen. Boehnke & Sen. Slatter).
The committee visited to learn about how we’re using Department of Commerce grants to lower utility costs and create sustainable schools. They learned about...
- Lighting retrofits at Valley View, Kirkwood, and Toppenish Middle School.
- Our upcoming solar + battery storage project at Valley View Elementary, which will:
- Save more than $22,000 a year in utility costs
- Provide backup power during local outages
- Serve as a community emergency hub during large-scale emergency events
They experienced a true Toppenish welcome as Dr. Lolita Ceja greeted them in both English and Sehaptin, and Auggie shared traditional fry bread and huckleberry lemonades. They even hopped aboard one of our clean energy electric buses thanks to our transportation team!
We are proud to be leading the way in clean energy, sustainability, and community resilience, all while keeping resources focused on students.