Google grant to help bring clean energy, climate resilience to Wasco County
Distributed by Chris Wilson with C+C I All About The Good , a public relations firm with offices in Portland and headquarters in Seattle:
The Dalles, Ore., Jan. 25, 2024 — New funding from Google will support a regional effort to build both climate and economic resilience in the Columbia River Gorge. Google is providing $150,000 to The Dalles-based nonprofit Wy’East Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D).
The grant will go toward the scoping and development of a clean energy or a combined resiliency project in Wasco County and to support economic development in Wasco County’s rural communities.
Wy’East RC&D serves small businesses and agricultural communities in Oregon and Washington, helping bring the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy to rural areas. Google’s grant will serve as the critical initial funding needed to secure additional state and federal grants.
“Developing clean energy projects takes a lot of time, expertise, and resources,” said Robert Wallace, Executive Director of Wy’East RC&D. “We’re grateful to Google for helping us get this off the ground, and in the end helping Wasco County communities prepare for a clean energy future. ”
When developing project specifics, Wy’East RC&D will consider The Dalles’ and Wasco County’s joint 2023 climate resiliency report and also seek funding from Oregon’s Community Renewable Energy Grant Program which was designed to help cities, towns, and organizations pay for projects such as solar or wind, energy storage systems, and microgrid technologies that benefit communities.
Google’s grant will also help Wy’East RC&D grow clean-tech businesses in Wasco County. The funding will help the organization identify businesses and technologies that would prosper in rural areas by supporting rural industries’ transition to energy-efficient processes and equipment. The end goal is to establish a rural innovation hub in the town of Dufur.
"I'm excited to hear about this win for Wy'East RC&D, and for our county. I know they're going to launch something great with it," said Dan Richardson, The Dalles city councilor, who chaired the resilience committee. The committee was a yearlong effort of local officials, staff, and involved citizens. The resiliency report was cited in recent months as part of the city's resolve to invest in street trees this year, and to start an energy efficiency study. In related news, Wasco County has an electric-car recharging station slated to be installed at the fairgrounds this year.
“We all know how important the ag industry is for Wasco County and understand the challenges many ag producers face,” said Kate Franko, Google's Regional Head of Data Center Public Affairs. “We’re glad to work with Wy’East RC&D which has a long history of creating local solutions that help small, rural business owners save both energy and money.”
Google has also recently supported efforts to update inefficient irrigation systems that serve more than 35,000 farmers and ranchers in rural Oregon and across the West. With more than $300,000 in grants from Google, the Farmers Conservation Alliance implemented a data management platform that allows rural communities to better track water usage, savings, and efficiencies in real time.
Google has called Wasco County home since 2006, when it opened its very first U.S. data center. Over the years, Google has provided more than $2 million in grants to area nonprofits, schools, and other organizations.
From the editor - Google has called Wasco County home since 2006 when it opened its very first U.S. data center in The Dalles after negotiating deals for property tax abatements lasting 15 years. Many of its 200 or so employees live throughout the gorge.
Most recently, The City and Wasco County agreed to 40 percent and 50 percent tax abatements for Google’s two new data centers in 2021 that are worth up to $147 million over the 15-year-lifespans of the agreement.
Under new agreements with The City of the Dalles and Wasco County, Google is building two additional data centers. The City of The Dalles has given approvals to site and construct both data centers on the former aluminum smelter site in the Port of The Dalles.
The company also plans to utilize water resources from the local groundwater aquifer after acquiring water rights for 3.88 million gallons per day attached to the former aluminum plant site in The Port of The Dalles. Google has also agreed to pay for $28.5 million of City water upgrades - Tom Peterson
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