Tacoma Power and Metropolitan Development Council (MDC) collaborated to bring 60 new energy efficient refrigerators to four income-qualified multi-family buildings in Tacoma in February and March of this year. Tacoma Power and MDC have partnered since 2017 on conservation projects, and these new refrigerators were an opportunity to enhance this collaboration.
At the end of 2022, with special funding earmarked for conservation efforts above and beyond our standard program offers, Tacoma Power purchased much needed DIY home installation items for income-eligible customers such as weather stripping and light bulbs. Last year, the focus was installing and replacing old inefficient refrigerators with brand new Energy Star ® rated ones. With MDC’s variety of programs and community involvement serving income-constrained people, these multi-family buildings with 10-40 years old refrigerators were chosen to receive these new units.
Through a competitive bid process Weir’s Appliance, a local, family-owned business was selected to provide, deliver and install the Energy Star ® rated units. Energy Star ® rated equipment is held to strict energy efficiency specifications set by the U.S. Department of Energy, which means less energy is needed to operate them. During install of the new refrigerators, our staff also provided residents with LED light bulbs to further conserve energy.
Tacoma Power and MDC regularly collaborate on conservation projects including weatherization, heating systems and water heaters to leverage both organizations’ funds. The refrigerator installation is in addition to all this other work Tacoma Power does to serve income-eligible customers and help them conserve energy and reduce their energy bills.
The installation project is a springboard for other conservation projects for both organizations. It’s a great example of partnering across agencies and with private vendors to provide innovative and equitable measures for the community. This project was a first for both Tacoma Power and MDC, and future funding could expand this effort to other community-based agencies throughout Tacoma Power’s service area.