MEDIA CONTACT: Emily Moore, Senior Director of Climate and Energy, Sightline Institute, emily@sightline.org
Report: Policy and messaging for the electric grid the Northwest needs
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON – It can take 20 years to add a new power line to the electric grid.
In a new report, nonpartisan regional think tank Sightline Institute recommends policies for leaders to build the grid the Pacific Northwest needs by adopting clear, predictable permitting processes.
Without changes to the status quo, Northwesterners will pay ballooning costs for delays and lose the chance to access affordable, clean, and reliable electricity.
The report includes policy recommendations for both Oregon and Washington state, as well as opinion polling that found electricity grid expansion has broad voter support. Through focus groups and surveys, FM3 Research found strong, cross-party appetite for measures to speed approvals for grid expansion projects.
- A robust majority of Oregon and Washington voters supports grid expansion. Seven in ten voters support expanding the electric grid in their state, and the intensity of that support is significant, with 49 percent of respondents saying they strongly support the idea.
- Overwhelming majorities agree the grid is “essential” and “critical public infrastructure.” This holds across the political spectrum and in both states, with 85 percent of Democrats, 77 percent of Republicans, and 86 percent of independents agreeing.
- Voters are concerned by the grid’s current age and capacity. The fact that “most of the electricity grid in our region is more than 50 years old” concerns 68 percent.
“Expanding our electric grid is central to tackling climate change,” said Emily Moore, Senior Director of Climate and Energy at Sightline Institute. “States will not hit their climate goals if grid projects get stuck in permitting purgatory.”
The report identifies four main areas for reform to quickly and responsibly build electric transmission projects : project review, land use, administrative proceedings, and governance.
Full reports:
- Policies to Unlock the Northwest’s Energy Future | Recommendations to responsibly speed up electric transmission line permitting in Oregon and Washington—for a safe, modern grid and shared climate progress.
- Messaging the Northwest’s Energy Future | Public opinion research shows strong support for grid modernization—and how to talk about it.
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Sightline Institute is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank providing leading original analysis of energy, housing, and democracy policy in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, British Columbia, and beyond.
