St. Michael’s Episcopal Mission—a stone church in Yakima, Washington—is getting a shine up. 72 new solar panels and a battery back-up and microgrid system will lower their energy bills and keep the church powered for days in case of power outages.
“We can be a place, if everybody else’s power goes out,” said the church’s priest, David Hacker, in a recent interview with Northwest Public Broadcasting. “We can be a place that’s a resiliency hub for folks.”
Spark Northwest was proud to partner with St. Michael’s Episcopal Mission, supporting the church in writing a grant in 2024 which was funded by Washington State’s Climate Commitment Act for $626,100. The panels were installed in December—with more on the way.
It’s a truly happy story—a major win for the vibrant Yakima neighborhood, which ranks high for pollution according to Washington’s Department of Health disparities map. But thats not the end of this story.
This year Spark Northwest Program Manager Haya Muñoz facilitated the “Energy Basics: Power Up Your Knowledge”—education workshops for the St. Michael’s community. The first workshop empowered community members with practical knowledge about home energy use. Together, workshop participants learned about weatherization, electrification, and sustainable strategies so they can actively participate in climate resiliency planning. The workshop also highlighted the exciting solar project at St. Michael’s.
The church imagines future projects too—electric car charging, heat pumps, and other upgrades.
“Now I know there’s actually something going on that’s going to combat all these crazy things happening with climate change.” said one of the workshop participants, Devante Martinez, 23.
Amidst a challenging energy landscape and a great deal of Federal uncertainty—we are drawing inspiration from these communities rising up. They are making their own plans, organizing, skilling-up, and taking powerful actions.
Read on for more Spark Northwest news and updates.
