A Promise Betrayed: How State Agencies Are Sabotaging Washington's Clean Energy Future

Wind and solar projects are a major part of the clean energy transition for Washington state. These projects create good union jobs; generate revenue for schools and essential services in the communities that host them; and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Beyond that, our elected leaders in the legislative and executive branches have set ambitious climate goals and signed into law some of the most aggressive clean energy policies in the nation. 

Washington should be on the forefront of clean energy development, but issues abound as developers work to bring these clean energy dreams to life, leaving WA last in the nation in clean energy development with out-of-work lists growing across our building and construction trades.

Climate Jobs Washington has been advocating to fast-track projects that align with WA law by cutting through the red tape and calling for more transparency in permitting and siting of wind and solar projects in the state. Timing is particularly critical for these technologies as the Trump Administration speeds up the expiration of the Federal tax incentives, 

Alongside delays and opposition within the permitting process, our own state agencies seem to be working at cross purposes with state law and one another. Most recently, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife released wind and solar guidelines meant to help developers minimize or avoid impacts to wildlife and habitat throughout the construction and life of utility scale projects. 

While we were optimistic that the guidelines could provide certainty and align with our goals of creating family wage jobs, generating revenue, and decarbonizing our electric sector, these guidelines may just be the nail in the coffin for projects hoping to qualify for the Federal tax incentives Trump and the Republicans in Congress axed. 

By multiplying the mitigation ratios expected of developers, millions of dollars of cost will be added to projects already financed and in the development pipeline. To add insult to injury, it is already so difficult to build projects in WA right now that the state is having to consider pushing back compliance dates to their environmental laws- striking a double blow to working people who were told these laws would create jobs. 

In short, we are getting a lot of things wrong when it comes to clean energy development in WA. The good news? We have time to course correct:

First, Governor Ferguson should issue an executive order focused on supporting projects in the current pipeline to secure safe harbor for federal incentives. OR and CA under Governors Kotek and Newsom have already used executive power directing their agencies to make improvements consistent with building out these projects. 

Second, lawmakers should pass legislation requiring state agencies to align their missions with existing energy laws and goals to ensure we aren’t taking one step forward and two steps back- wasting taxpayer dollars and jeopardizing our ability to generate economic development. 

They must also pass Senate Bill 5466. This bill would address state grid capacity in both the short- and long-term. 

• In the long-term, it would create a State Transmission Authority which would provide public financing to assist in transmission buildout. The Authority would also contribute to keeping rates low for hard-working families across our state. 

• In the short-term, the bill would broaden an existing categorical exemption for utilities to include high-voltage lines. This means that utilities could deploy workers to all areas of high capacity constraints immediately. This has the dual benefit of creating jobs and increasing our grid’s capacity by 20-50%.

While it seems clean energy jobs are up against yet another barrier, it is not time to lose hope. Instead, there are steps that our leadership can take to help establish and support the fact that these projects grow the economy, provide jobs and help put Washington residents to work!