Washington legislature passes bill to establish statewide transmission authority to strengthen the grid
WASHINGTON – The Washington State Legislature has passed Senate Bill 6355 to establish the Washington Electric Transmission Authority, a new entity tasked with planning, siting, and financing transmission infrastructure to relieve grid congestion and enable the deployment of clean energy across the state.
“Washington has set some of the most ambitious clean energy goals in the country, but continues to lag in renewable energy buildout,” said Natalie Manitius, Senior Associate, Clean Energy Infrastructure Deployment at Clean Air Task Force (CATF). “Since 2015, hundreds of projects have been eager to connect to the grid, but only one has been approved. While some progress is being made to address this problem, establishing a transmission authority here in Washington will represent a leap forward in addressing the interconnection backlog and capacity constraints that are holding back clean energy projects and limiting the state’s ability to meet rising electricity demand.”
As the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority and Colorado Energy Transmission Authority have done for their states, the new Washington transmission authority will help proactively identify and advance high-priority transmission projects, partner with developers to move projects forward that utilities are not positioned to build, and expand or upgrade existing transmission infrastructure. Strengthening transmission planning and financing will also help position the state to access diverse, low-cost clean energy resources across the broader regional grid.
“Transmission is the backbone of a modern electricity system,” added Dan West, Senior Western Regional Policy Manager at CATF. “Establishing a dedicated authority to plan and finance new lines will help to relieve Washington’s grid congestion, unlock stalled energy projects, and meet rising electricity demand. As the state works to maintain reliability and affordability while pursuing its clean energy goals, expanding transmission is essential to ensuring all Washingtonians benefit from a stronger, more resilient grid.”
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About Clean Air Task Force
Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a global nonprofit organization working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalyzing the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. With 30 years of internationally recognized expertise on climate policy and a fierce commitment to exploring all potential solutions, CATF is a pragmatic, non-ideological advocacy group with the bold ideas needed to address climate change. CATF has offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with staff working virtually around the world. Visit catf.us and follow @cleanaircatf.
