RCW 43.52B.800: Findings—Intent—2026 c 249.

(1) The legislature finds that Washington has committed to decarbonizing its electricity system so that it is carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon free by 2045. Achieving those goals includes retiring coal and gas resources, adding new generation from renewable and nonemitting resources, and leveraging energy storage technologies. At the same time, demand for electricity is increasing significantly due to the electrification of vehicles, home heating and cooling, and manufacturing, and the expansion of the information services sector in Washington. There are significant federal, state, and private investments in clean energy development, including wind, solar, and battery storage, that support decarbonization goals and supply new electrical load. However, Washington's existing transmission system lacks the capacity to accommodate the growing demand for clean electricity.

(2) The legislature also finds that extreme weather events and changes to seasonal highs and lows puts new strain on the existing transmission system and threatens reliability. Extreme weather events and resulting conditions such as high-speed winds, floods, freezing, extreme heat, and drought, which could increase the risk of wildfire, can damage grid infrastructure and cause disruptions to the power supply. Warmer summers and colder winters increase the need for heating and cooling and thereby intensify and extend periods of peak demand.

(3) The legislature further finds that to maintain reliability and build resilience, Washington's transmission system needs to be expanded and upgraded to access diverse portfolios of clean and reliable energy across the region, including solar resources in the southwest and wind resources across the mountain west. A more robust and updated transmission system will support affordability and reliability goals by enabling the efficient dispatch of least-cost resources across the region.

(4) Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to create the Washington electric transmission authority to improve transmission reliability, resilience, and affordability. The Washington electric transmission authority will serve as a centralized body to achieve these goals by: Providing development transmission services; coordinating siting and permitting; and engaging with utilities, transmission developers, local jurisdictions, state agencies, regional entities, the federal government, federally recognized Indian tribes, and affected communities. The legislature intends for the authority to achieve the following goals:

(a) Improve reliability and resilience, including during extreme weather events;

(b) Increase access to low-cost renewable energy;

(c) Achieve clean electricity requirements and greenhouse gas emissions limits;

(d) Encourage advanced transmission technologies that lower wildfire risks;

(e) Support economic growth; and

(f) Maintain affordable energy rates.