South Whidbey businesses receive grants for solar projects

Arndt Property Management and Mutiny Bay Blues got awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture

By Kira Erickson • May 3, 2024 1:30 am
USDA photo by Phil Eggman Arndt Property Management owner Damon Arndt is presented with the USDA Rural Development’s Environmental Stewardship Award of Excellence by State Director Helen Price Johnson for his company’s use of renewable energy at their business in Langley.
USDA photo by Phil Eggman Arndt Property Management owner Damon Arndt is presented with the USDA Rural Development’s Environmental Stewardship Award of Excellence by State Director Helen Price Johnson for his company’s use of renewable energy at their business in Langley.

Two projects on South Whidbey utilizing clean energy recently received some recognition from local leaders and government officials.

Last week, Arndt Property Management and Mutiny Bay Blues accepted Environmental Stewardship awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Both businesses received grants from the USDA in 2023 to install solar panels.

The USDA awarded $2.3 million in 18 additional renewable energy projects in 13 Washington counties as part of 700 clean energy projects awarded around the nation, totaling over $238 million, according to information from a USDA press release. These projects are funded by President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

Damon Arndt, co-owner of Arndt Property Management, said the $23,760 grant received by the business covered about 30% of the cost of installing solar panels on Soundview Center, a collection of individual businesses and practitioners in Langley.

Damon said he and his wife, Shannon, decided to put in the necessary electrical work for solar energy when Soundview Center was remodeled shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, but couldn’t afford the installation cost of the panels at the time.

The 26.8 kilowatt solar array officially went live last August. Damon explained that excess energy generated from the panels goes back into the energy grid. He is excited to see how much energy will be generated this July and August, which are peak times of the year for solar power. The winter months didn’t have a big impact on energy bills, but that could change soon.

Helen Price Johnson, the state director for the USDA, presented the award to Damon on April 26. U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, state Rep. Clyde Shavers, Langley Mayor Kennedy Horstman, Island County Commissioner Janet St. Clair, Langley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Nicole Whittington-Johnson and Whidbey Conservation District Executive Director Heather McCoy were also present during the ceremony, which included a tour of Soundview Center.

Damon said it was an opportunity for leaders like Larsen to see that “these (federal) funds are actually going to good use and making a difference in local communities.”

Mutiny Bay Blues, an organic farm in Freeland, also received an award from the USDA, fittingly on Earth Day. The farm utilized a $78,800 grant to purchase and install an 88.2 kilowatt solar array.

“This was awarded in recognition of exemplary dedication to conservation and carbon reduction through the use of renewable energy, demonstrating eco-friendly business practices and embodying environmental responsibility through climate smart investments,” Lauren Fletcher of Mutiny Bay Blues said in an email.

Price Johnson said in a press release that the USDA grants can make a difference in helping agricultural producers and rural small business owners expand their use of clean energy and improve the environment.