Organization representatives, Youthnet staff and community members celebrate Thursday the recently completed installation of an 83.3-kilowatt solar array at Youthnet’s Mount Vernon campus, which is seen in the background.
Organization representatives, Youthnet staff and community members celebrate Thursday the recently completed installation of an 83.3-kilowatt solar array at Youthnet’s Mount Vernon campus, which is seen in the background.
MOUNT VERNON — The nonprofit Youthnet celebrated Thursday a new 83.3-kilowatt solar array at its main campus in Mount Vernon.
A $172,088 Solar Enhanced Incentive award from Puget Sound Energy covered the full cost of the panels.
Youthnet provides support, particularly foster care resources, to youth and families throughout Western Washington.
Bellingham-based Western Solar installed the panels, a process completed at the end of September. Western Solar and Puget Sound Energy have partnered on several community solar array installations in Whatcom and Skagit counties.
“Today we are celebrating clean energy,” Rocio Castillo-Foel, community affairs manager at PSE said at the Thursday event.
Castillo-Foel said the project will help Youthnet run more efficiently and better support families throughout the region.
Puget Sound Energy launched the Solar Enhanced Incentive program in 2017, and in 2025 the program provided $3.3 million for 20 solar installations throughout the state.
“Not only are they providing customers with funding, but they’re actually reducing the revenue that they earn,” said Evan Bush, Western Solar’s vice president of commercial sales and operations.
Jon Rylaarsdam, Youthnet’s executive director, said the solar panels will likely save the organization about $1,800 a month, or $200,000 a year, in energy costs.
Youthnet was founded in 1969 with the mission to supply temporary housing for teenagers “that would bridge the gap between living at home and foster care or institutions,” according to its website.
It’s nearly 60-year legacy has included establishing group homes, alternative educational settings and individualized care programs.
The nonprofit supports youth and families in 15 Washington counties.
“This is just a small fraction of the people representing so many partnerships,” Rylaarsdam said of the organizational leaders present at Thursday’s celebration and ribbon cutting. “We don’t do it alone.”
According to a 2023 Puget Sound Energy Community Profile, Puget Sound Energy provides electricity to about 50,000 residences in Skagit County.
Puget Sound Energy encourages government agencies, community-based organizations, government agencies and tribal entities to apply for Solar Enhanced Incentive funding.
Applications are reviewed monthly. To learn more, visit https://www.pse.com/en/green-options/solar-energy-credit.
Josh Hernandez can be reached at jhernandez@skagitpublishing.com
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Your comment has been submitted.
Reported
There was a problem reporting this.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Submit your event now.
Skagit Publishing Social Media Policy
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
