Recently, Commerce asked building owners to share their Clean Buildings Performance Standards (CBPS) compliance success stories. Grant Guinn, owner of GL8 Hospitality in the Spokane Valley, shared his recent success with meeting CBPS compliance and reasons why they were successful.
“As the owner of a hotel in Spokane Valley, I participated in several informational sessions hosted by the Department of Commerce explaining the Clean Buildings Performance Standard and the compliance process. These sessions were helpful in understanding how to establish our Building ID and navigate the complex compliance portal,” said Guinn.
“One of the most valuable outcomes from those sessions was learning about the Building Efficiency and Clean Operations Network (BEACON) Fellowship program available in our region. The program provided practical guidance that helped us move through the compliance process with greater confidence. I would especially like to recognize Sydney Cohen and CJ Kreitlow with Climate Corps, both of whom are part of the Beacon Fellowship program, who hosted our first Teams call with us in August 2025 and continued answering questions and meeting with us throughout the application process. Their professionalism and responsiveness were instrumental in helping us complete our submission.
“Our compliance application has now been approved and is currently under review by the Incentive team. While the compliance process can be complex for building owners navigating it for the first time, the educational resources and support programs provided by the Department were extremely helpful in guiding us through the process. I appreciate the assistance provided and look forward to continuing to improve the efficiency and performance of our building.
“As a hotel serving visitors to Spokane Valley, energy efficiency improvements are also important to us as we work to operate responsibly while supporting the region’s tourism economy.”
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Grant!
If your building as successfully met compliance with the CBPS and you would like to have your building featured in an upcoming bulletin, please fill out this short questionnaire.
A summary of district energy system decarbonization plans
Commerce’s recently published legislative report, A Summary of District Energy System Decarbonization Plans, summarizes the decarbonization plans submitted by campuses and agencies across Washington and highlights strategies, costs and challenges associated with transitioning district energy systems away from fossil fuels. The report fulfills the legislative requirement under RCW 19.27A.260 to provide the Governor and Legislature with a summary of submitted plans.
For more about these and other stories from WA Commerce check out: Clean Buildings Bulletin