Lower Elwha Tribe, Clallam PUD and BPA partner to reduce energy costs and help the environment

Lower Elwha Tribe, Clallam PUD and BPA partner to reduce energy costs and help the environment


Thirty percent of tribal homes on the Lower Elwha Reservation now save almost half on heating bills

Members of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe saved energy and money while arming themselves against this unusually cold Northern Olympic Peninsula weather.  The Tribe partnered with PUD No. 1 of Clallam County and the Bonneville Power Administration to use the grant funds to retrofit 42 homes with ductless heat pumps.

This work is part of a region-wide effort. The Clallam PUD has installed 104 units within their service territory and there have been nearly 10,000 installations in BPA territories since 2009.


NOTE:  You can see a video production about the project at:  http://www.youtube.com/user/BonnevillePower#p/u/19/u7LWX–jL1yI


Tribal Elder Alfred Charles Sr.’s energy use and bill are significantly lower than last year. Since retiring Al has become more aware of his energy usage. He has not used his electric baseboard heat all winter and does what he can to conserve. The former tribal councilmember has been enjoying the heat pump. “It’s so convenient.” Charles stated.  “It is very efficient at keeping the house at a comfortable temperature.”

Ductless heat pumps efficiently heat a home in the winter and cool it in the summer by using electricity to move heat between outdoor and indoor air through a compression cycle, much like a refrigerator. A quiet oscillating fan delivers the heated or cooled air directly to the room, which avoids efficiency losses associated with other systems like forced/central air that can lose 15-20 percent passing through the ductwork.


The partnership emerged thanks to a U.S. Department of Energy grant to promote energy efficiency and conservation on tribal lands.  BPA and Clallam PUD combined other energy efficiency funding to the grant money to fund the project.  Clallam PUD customers who have installed the heat pumps indicate they have reduced their heating bills up to 50 percent.

“Partnering with the Tribe and BPA on the ductless heat pump program has been a very enjoyable and effective approach to improving energy efficiency in the PUD’s service territory.” says Mattias Järvegren, Utility Services Advisor II for Clallam PUD.

The original series of installations was so successful that after expending the original $68,400 in grant funds, the Tribe used their general funds to retrofit the homes of 15 more tribal elders.

“This has been one of the more rewarding community projects that I have been involved with due to the rapid installation and immediate cost and quality of life benefits enjoyed by their recipients.” Matt Beirne, Environmental Coordinator, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.

Mike Weedall, vice president, BPA Energy Efficiency agrees:  “We’re proud to be part of efforts like this. The region consumes less electricity and utility customers save money.  It’s one of those great instances where everybody wins.”


Learn more about ductless heat pumps at goingductless.com or www.clallampud.net. Check with your electric utility for rebates or other incentives.


BPA is a non-profit federal agency that markets renewable hydropower from federal Columbia River dams, operates three-quarters of high-voltage transmission lines in the Northwest and funds one of the largest wildlife protection and restoration programs in the world. Renewable energy is the future, and the Bonneville Power Administration delivers more of it than any other electricity provider in the nation. Meeting the critical need to reduce energy consumption, BPA and its partners have conserved enough electricity to power four large American cities. For more information, contact us at 503-230-5131 or visit our website at www.bpa.gov.

Clallam County PUD is the locally controlled electricity provider to Clallam County, Washington, with the exception of the City of Port Angeles.  It has served the area since the people of Clallam County voted to establish a Public Utility District in 1940 and has since grown to over 30,000 electric meters.  The mission of the PUD is “To provide reliable, efficient, safe, and low cost utility services in a financially and environmentally responsible manner.” Learn more about Clallam PUD by visiting www.clallampud.net.

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe has approximately 980 enrolled members. Apart from several high efficiency lighting retrofits in tribal government facilities, this is the first significant reservation-wide residential energy efficiency project completed on the reservation.   The Tribe appreciates the assistance provided by the Public Utilities District with this project and is interested in pursuing other energy conservation programs in the future. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe resides in the Lower Elwha River Valley and adjacent bluffs on the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula just west of Port Angeles, Washington. As recognized by the United States in 1855 Treaty of Point No Point, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe has lived in this area since time immemorial. The Tribe's current land base was initially acquired by the United States in trust for the Tribe in 1935-36 and these lands were proclaimed as the Lower Elwha Reservation in 1968. Today tribal lands include about a thousand acres of land on and near the Elwha River. For more information about the Tribe please visit www.elwha.org.