• There is no project cap, making it a better fit for larger projects
• Up & Go Electric programs focus on EV chargers and include one-time EV incentives covering a portion of the new vehicle costs; a broader variety of costs are eligible under TER Grants
• Up & Go Electric focuses on PSE-owned projects but also provides customer-owned incentives, while all TER Grants are for customer-owned projects
• TER Grants are ideal for innovative, community-based TE projects providing more than solely EV charging

Please note: If your project only includes installation of EV chargers, please first visit PSE Up & Go Electric to see if your project is eligible for one of our public, workplace, multifamily, or fleet charging incentive programs. Qualifying TER Grant applications that can be fully funded under Up & Go Electric will be routed to the appropriate program by PSE.

No. However, we do recommend that applicants review the Up & Go Electric programs first if they are only seeking funding for EV charging infrastructure. If you have questions about which program is the right fit for your project, please contact tergrants@retro-schemas.com.

If your TER Grants application is submitted and your project is found to be eligible for and can be fully funded by Up & Go Electric programs, it will automatically be redirected to the Up & Go application system. You will be notified with an email containing the new Up & Go project application link and you will need to fill out any missing information.

Non-residential PSE customers include but are not limited to: businesses, multi-unit dwellings on non-residential rates, community-based organizations, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and Tribal entities.

Designated Communities are comprised of multiple groups:

• Vulnerable populations: Those who experience a disproportionate cumulative risk from environmental burdens due to: (a) adverse socioeconomic factors, including unemployment, high housing and transportation costs relative to income, access to food and health care, and linguistic isolation; and (b) sensitivity factors, such as low birth weight and higher rates of hospitalization
• Limited income populations: Household incomes that do not exceed the higher of eighty percent of area median income or two hundred percent of federal poverty level, adjusted for household size (WAC 194-40-030).
• Communities specifically designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Washington State Department of Health (DOH): Census tracts designated by the EPA as nonattainment or maintenance areas; or identified by the DOH as a 9 or 10 on the Environmental Health Disparities Map.
• For more details, please see the Designated Communities Map and grant overview documents.

 Micromobility is non-vehicle transportation over shorter distances provided by lightweight, single person devices like bicycles and wheelchairs. PSE is open to a broad range of electric micromobility projects, but devices must adhere to the requirements listed in the eligible costs list.

If selected to receive a TER grant, awardees must sign a grant funding agreement and provide a completed W-9 form for their organization. The grant funding agreement outlines the intended project scope of work and the requirements the recipient must meet in order to receive funding.

The applicant must be formally partnered with the organization responsible for paying the electric bill. The organization must be a non-residential PSE customer developing a transportation electrification project in PSE’s electric service area that primarily benefits residential and designated communities.

Applicants who do not own the site must warrant that they have permission to make all site modifications associated with the project.

If you are notified that your application was not selected for funding, you will be given the option to receive feedback from PSE. After you opt in, you will receive a follow-up email with an explanation of why you were not selected.

TER Grants are funded through the state of Washington's Clean Fuel Standard (CFS). This regulation is designed to reduce greenhouse gas and conventional air pollutant emissions from transportation fuels used in Washington while spurring economic development. Electricity is one of the transportation fuels recognized within the CFS regulation. Electricity used as a transportation fuel can generate CFS credits, which in turn may be sold for revenue.

When electric vehicle owners charge their batteries in PSE electric service area, PSE earns CFS credits in proportion to the amount of electricity used and the carbon intensity of the electricity used. According to CFS regulations, the revenue generated from selling these credits must be used for transportation electrification projects within PSE’s electric service area.

You can apply for Grant Writing support again in the future, as long as your application is associated with a different non-PSE grant.

Upon receiving an application, PSE may follow up with clarifying questions. Applicants can expect to be notified of award determination via email within 2 to 3 months of submitting their complete application.

Higher priority will be given to applicant teams whose intended projects will provide direct benefits to designated communities in PSE’s service area. Additionally, higher priority will be given to organizations that have not received TER Grant Writing funding within the last 3 years.

A third-party evaluator, Resource Innovations, will assess applications and provide recommendations to PSE. Funding is distributed at the sole discretion of PSE.

Awardees will receive an initial payment of up to 75% of the total award within 60 days after a funding agreement is executed. Recipients must provide status updates each quarter and inform PSE whether they are awarded or denied the non-PSE grant within 30 days or receiving notification. The remaining award amount will be paid within 60 days after the applicant has provided proof of submission to the intended non-PSE grant and an invoice for grant writing services.

You can apply for grant matching funding again in the future, as long as your application is associated with a different non-PSE grant.

The TER Grants program is designed to support comprehensive TE solutions for designated communities. For detailed information on costs that are covered by TER Grant Matching, please review the eligible costs document.

While costs incurred prior to the submission of your application may be covered, please be aware that they are not guaranteed to be reimbursed.

Awardees must notify PSE within 30 days of receiving communication about the status of their non-PSE grant (accepted or denied). If the non-PSE grant is denied, the funding reservation will be voided, and the awardee will no longer be eligible to receive Grant Matching funds.

No, Up & Go Electric incentives cannot be matched by TER Grant Matching funding. To fulfill the grant matching requirement, applicants must have or be in the process of securing a non-PSE grant.

The applicant team would own and operate the equipment, not PSE.

PSE evaluates applications based on the following criteria:

• Community Impact: How and to what magnitude will the project directly benefit residential customers and designated communities?
• Feasibility, Planning, and Timeline: Does the application demonstrate a clear, achievable project plan and timeline for implementation?
• Demonstrated Need and Use of Funds: Does the application provide a detailed budget that includes supporting costs throughout the project lifetime, and is a need for funding clearly demonstrated?
• Use Case: Does the project advance transportation electrification by addressing market gaps or utilizing an innovative approach?

PSE conducts an initial review of all applications for missing documentation within five days of submission. We evaluate all applications at the end of every month to select projects to move forward to the next stage. Projects that are not selected will be waitlisted and provided an opportunity to enhance their application before being reevaluated the following month.

Current and past participants in the program may apply again. However, if PSE receives a large number of applications, PSE may consider current and past participation as an evaluation factor.

If sufficient funding is available to cover the full match amount and all budget items are approved as eligible, the full amount may be awarded. However, partial awards may be issued if the available funds do not cover the full match.

There is no set cap on TER Grant Matching, but please note that awards are made on a rolling basis throughout the year and available funding may be limited.

Awardees will receive an initial payment of up to 75% of the total award within 60 days after providing proof of securing a non-PSE grant and a funding agreement is executed. Applicants must provide quarterly progress reports through project completion and inform PSE whether they are awarded or denied the non-PSE grant within 30 days of receiving notification.

The remaining award amount will be paid within 60 days after the project is implemented and functioning and a final report with documentation is submitted.

Yes, if your Project Grant application is not selected for funding in this project cycle, you may apply again in the future for the same project. However, we encourage you to opt in for feedback on your application and use it to strengthen your submission in the next cycle.

The TER Grants program is designed to support comprehensive TE solutions for designated communities. For detailed information on costs that are covered by the TER Project Grant, please review the eligible costs document.

While costs incurred prior to the submission of your application may be covered, please be aware that they are not guaranteed to be reimbursed.

Although a selected installer and formal quote are not required, well-planned projects are encouraged. However, it is understood that many applicants, such as government entities, may need to put their projects out to bid before applying. Applicants who have not received prior quotes should include estimated expenses in their budget template.

The applicant team would own and operate the equipment, not PSE.

If sufficient funding is available to cover the full project amount and all budget items are approved as eligible, the full amount may be awarded. However, partial awards may be issued if the available funds do not cover the full project amount.

PSE evaluates applications based on the following criteria.

50%: Community engagement and equitable distribution of benefits, especially for designated communities

• The project is designed with meaningful input and involvement from local and impacted communities
• The project provides direct and tangible benefits to local communities
• The project includes awareness efforts to make the project and its benefits visible to the community

30%: Feasibility, planning, and timeline

• The project demonstrates a clear, achievable project plan and timeline for implementation
• The project involves key collaborators and partners in planning and execution
• The technical approach, tools, and/or methods are strong
• The project team demonstrates readiness, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities
• The project plan identifies potential project risks and mitigation strategies

20%: Project sustainability and use of funds

• The project has a well-planned budget and financial plan
• Project is designed to ensure continuous impact over its lifetime and/or will be adapted to the needs of the community over time

There is no set cap on TER Project Grants, but please note that grants are competitive, and funding may be limited.

• Upon receiving an application, PSE may follow up with clarifying questions. Applicants who have submitted a complete application can expect to be notified by email whether or not they have been chosen for an interview. Applicants will receive an email regarding their selection for funding after the interview.
• March 2025 – Application solicitation phase opens
• July 16th, 2025 – Applications due
• July-September 2025 – PSE reviews applications, during which applicants may be contacted to answer written or scheduled interview questions regarding their project
• October-December 2025 – PSE will finalize selections and issue funding award notifications to applicants.

• The remaining award amount will be paid within 60 days after the project is implemented and functioning and a final report with documentation is submitted.