Pierce County designated “SolSmart Silver” for solar energy actions

Pierce County designated “SolSmart Silver” for solar energy actions.

Pierce County received a Silver designation from the national SolSmart program for encouraging the growth of affordable solar energy options at the local level.

As a SolSmart Silver designee, Pierce County has adopted nationally recognized best practices to advance solar market growth. Pierce County worked with SolSmart’s no-cost technical assistance team to increase local knowledge of solar energy so the entire community can benefit.

“Pierce County is proud to receive the SolSmart Silver designation, which reflects our commitment to a cleaner, more resilient future. By making solar energy more accessible and affordable for our residents and businesses, we’re not only reducing emissions—we’re investing in local solutions that create long-term benefits for our community,” said Ryan Mello, Pierce County Executive.

SolSmart is led by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. Over 500 cities, towns, counties, and regional organizations have achieved SolSmart designation since the program launched in 2016.

Pierce County’s greenhouse gas reduction plan, Sustainability 2030, calls for a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from a 2015 baseline. Eliminating barriers to the installation of renewable energy projects, including solar energy, supports the goals of Sustainability 2030. Shifting energy generation to clean, local sources like solar saves money, reduces pollution and increases resilience.

To achieve SolSmart Silver designation, Pierce County Planning & Public Works Development Services staff completed training on best practices for permitting and inspecting solar energy and solar-plus storage systems. Pierce County’s Office of Resilience and Climate Action also created a solar landing page to help residents learn more about planning their solar projects. The solar energy webpage also highlights local solar success stories, such as the Purdy Landfill Solar Project. These and other actions taken will make it faster, easier, and more affordable for local residents, businesses and nonprofit organizations to install solar in our community.

Local governments achieve SolSmart designation by meeting established criteria that are based on national best practices for building solar-friendly communities. The SolSmart team of experts offers no-cost technical assistance and resources to help communities put these practices into action. Those that meet the criteria are designated SolSmart Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze.

SolSmart designees are now in 43 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Any city, town, county, and regional organization is eligible to join the program. Interested communities can learn more at SolSmart.org.

About Pierce County 
‌Nearly 1 million residents live in Pierce County, the second largest county in the state of Washington. Our mission is to build communities that feel safe, welcoming and connected. 

Sustainability 2030 Plan 
The Sustainability 2030 Plan aligns with the State of Washington’s climate commitments and seeks to reduce climate change-causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 45% by 2030 based on a 2015 baseline. The Sustainability 2030 Plan provides a road map of measurable and science-based actions for reducing communitywide emissions and Pierce County’s internal operational emissions.