Thurston County, Washington

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Thurston County Washington

Thurston County Named “Green Municipality of the Year” for Sustainability

April 8, 2026
photo of thurston county's five elected board members with shovels at a tree planting project

CONTACT:  Susan Melnyk, Chief Communications Manager, (360) 867-2097 or susan.melnyk@co.thurston.wa.us

Thurston County Named “Green Municipality of the Year” for Sustainability
From its electrified fleet to clean energy policies and practices, County turns vision to action.

OLYMPIA – Thurston County government was named Green Municipality of the Year by the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes the County’s achievements in environmental planning and policy, green business practices, and the delivery of community-level climate, water, and waste solutions. The Chamber is set to recognize the County today at its Thurston Green Business Forum & Awards.

“Being a good steward of County resources is the heart of our mission,” said County Manager Leonard Hernandez. “This recognition reflects more than a decade of work to modernize our internal operations and build the community relationships it takes to develop practical policies. We are grateful for the Chamber bringing community leaders together to tackle these challenges in a way that delivers measurable results for our community.”

The award follows a landmark year for the county highlighted by the adoption of Thurston 2045 – the County’s updated comprehensive plan – which included a first-of-its-kind implementation plan that assigned specific climate-related tasks and timelines to County departments, ensuring accountability and transparency in meeting climate goals.

Thurston County Good-Stewardship Efforts

Energize Thurston – Using funding from the Washington Climate Commitment Act, the County and its partners installed more than 220 heat pumps throughout the county in 2025 – nearly 80 percent of which went to low-to-moderate-income households.

Decarbonizing County Operations – The County converted a portion of its fleet to electric and transitioned its diesel fleet to 100% biofuel.

Solar Energy Leadership – The County earned the prestigious SolSmart Silver designation (one of only 90 counties) for eliminating its building permit requirement for rooftop residential solar installation making it easier to go solar.

Waste Innovation with the award winning Fix-It Fair which is helping save reparable items from the landfill.

Climate Collaboration with the cities of Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater. 

Thurston County adopted a Home Energy Score rating labeling requirement for home sales listing set to take effect in 2027.

To explore the innovative projects and programs driving Thurston County’s award-winning climate change response, visit the County website at www.ThurstonCountyWA.gov