Food Bank Saves 80% on Power Bills with Solar Grant

The Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank is about to cut its power bills by 80 percent, thanks to a solar panel grant that will redirect precious dollars straight to fighting hunger.

Puget Sound Energy selected the North Bend nonprofit as one of 12 organizations to receive solar installations through its 2026 Solar Grants program. The grants, funded by customers who opt into PSE's Green Power program, totaled $914,689 this year.

For a food bank preparing to move into a bigger location that needs more electricity, the timing is perfect. Board President Terry Pottmeyer says the solar panels will create "significant savings" that help the organization focus on its core mission: ending food insecurity in the community.

The food bank currently operates at 122 East 3rd Street in North Bend but is raising $5 million for a new facility. Every dollar saved on utility bills means more money for food, more families fed, and more stability for neighbors facing hard times.

PSE designed the grant program specifically for community organizations, government agencies, and tribal entities that serve the public good. By covering the cost of solar installations, the utility helps nonprofits and public services stretch their budgets further.

The Ripple Effect

This grant does more than just help one food bank. It shows how renewable energy can multiply the impact of charitable giving.

The customers who contribute to PSE's Green Power program are essentially feeding their neighbors twice: once by funding clean energy, and again by freeing up food bank dollars that would have gone to electric bills. That's the kind of creative problem solving that makes sustainability and community support work hand in hand.

As energy costs rise nationwide, nonprofits face tough choices between paying utility bills and serving their communities. Solar grants like this one remove that impossible trade-off.

The Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank can now power its operations while protecting its budget, ensuring that donor dollars go directly where they're needed most: filling plates and fighting hunger in the valley.