Benton County and Sunnyside schools will receive more than $1 million combined in grants from the Washington Department of Commerce to upgrade their buildings to meet the state energy efficiency requirements. 

The awards are part of more than $14 million that is being distributed to reduce emissions, enhance the comfort of building occupants and improve the cost efficiency of public building operations, according to a news release. 

Benton County will receive $406,000. The Sunnyside School District will receive $663,599. The county will use the money to improve the HVAC system controls in the Benton County Justice Center as part of a broader effort that will modernize and replace the facilities air handler units and install a central chilled water system, said Katie DoValle, county spokeswoman. 

The funding comes from Commerce’s Energy Efficiency Retrofits for Public Buildings Grants program, which was open to local governments, public higher education institutions, school districts, federally recognized tribal governments and state agencies. 

The Clean Buildings bill, signed into law in 2019, expanded in 2022, and augmented in 2023, established the state’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard. The standard is focused on lowering costs and pollution from fossil fuel consumption in buildings ranging from state facilities to multifamily buildings and campus district energy systems. Structures that fall under the standard must pay fines until they are brought up to it.