While Washington Waits, Oregon's Governor Doubles Down on Clean Energy Action
While Washington’s union workers and clean energy developers wait for a single executive order to break the state’s permitting gridlock, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek just signed her second.
In a decisive move this week, Governor Kotek issued a new executive order directing state agencies to create a long-term strategy to speed up the deployment of solar, wind, and other renewable energy projects. The order pushes for faster permitting and quicker connection to the electrical grid, setting the stage for Oregon to aggressively pursue its climate goals for decades to come.
This new, strategic order comes just months after Kotek took her first critical step last October. Her initial order fast-tracked the review process for projects hoping to qualify for expiring federal clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act—the exact kind of immediate action that Climate Jobs Washington has been urging Governor Ferguson to take.
The urgency in Oregon is driven by a problem all too familiar in Washington. A recent investigation found the entire Northwest is "woefully behind" in adding new renewable energy, largely because both states have left the critical work of grid upgrades to a "glacial" Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).
But while Washington remains stalled, Oregon’s leadership is actively pushing back. Governor Kotek has publicly committed to "keep pushing BPA for grid enhancements," stating that the federal agency "needs to be a better partner."
The message to Washington is unmistakable. The problems are the same. The solutions are clear. Our West Coast neighbors are proving that decisive, progressive leadership can cut through the red tape to secure federal investment and create good jobs.
The only missing ingredient in Washington is the political will to act. Every day of delay means leaving federal dollars on the table and keeping our skilled, union workforce on the sidelines. It is time for Governor Ferguson to follow the lead of his West Coast counterpart and sign the executive order that will put Washington to work building our clean energy future.
