Build SHIIT Now: New Report Finds $149 Billion, 24 GW Worth of Economic and Energy Capacity Trapped in WA Clean Energy Pipeline
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Kelsey Nyland, Communications Director
Build SHIIT Now: New Report Finds $149 Billion, 24 GW Worth of Economic and Energy Capacity Trapped in WA Clean Energy Pipeline
580,000 Jobs and $60 Billion in Untapped Labor Income Also At Risk
Top WA Regulatory Leaders to Discuss Today at Future of Carbon Policy Forum in Seattle
January 8, 2026 (Seattle, WA) – Clean & Prosperous and Greenline Insights today released the Build Sustainable High Impact Infrastructure Together (Build SHIIT) report detailing the vast scale of economic, energy, and workforce capacity trapped in Washington’s clean energy pipeline. The analysis evaluated more than 250 individual clean energy projects and found billions of dollars in economic activity and hundreds of thousands of jobs that could be lost due to permitting, siting, and interconnection delays.
Washington state law requires limiting greenhouse gas emissions to 45% below 1990 levels by 2030. Additionally, no single utility can generate more than 20% of its power from methane gas power plants by 2030. At the same time, Net-Zero Northwest is predicting Washington’s electricity demand to grow by 77% by 2045 due to increased load.
Against this backdrop, a landmark May 2025 report from Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica found that Washington state is 50th in the country in renewable growth, experiencing -3% growth between the decades of 2005-2014 and 2015-2024. The reporting found that the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) approved just 0.2% of large renewable energy projects seeking connection since 2015, compared with 28% in Texas.
Other climate-ambitious states have outpaced Washington in renewable energy growth over the past decade, including New Mexico (ranked 3rd nationally), Illinois (9th), Colorado (13th), Minnesota (19th), and California (30th), which continues to add large volumes of renewable capacity and ranks second nationally in total renewable electricity generation.
From the Build SHIIT report: “Washington state has established some of the most ambitious pollution reduction goals in the country…However, Washington’s glacial rate of clean energy development has not matched the state’s ambitions. This reality places Washington’s emissions reduction goals at significant risk of failure and keeps massive economic and employment opportunities out of reach. Falling short in Washington will tarnish its national – and international – reputation while discouraging the adoption of ambitious climate policies by other subnational entities.”
The Build SHIIT report identifies 258 clean energy and industrial projects spanning renewable power, grid-scale storage, manufacturing facilities, and industrial modernization opportunities that could reasonably move forward over the next decade if development processes improve. These projects represent a substantial buildout pipeline and a large set of investments ready to advance if development pathways become more efficient and predictable.
The Build SHIIT report finds that the existing clean energy pipeline contains:
- 24 gigawatts (GW) of new electricity generating capacity
- 13 GW of new storage capacity
- $149 billion in new statewide economic output
- $95 billion increase in state GDP
- More than 580,000 jobs (defined as job-years) created
- Over $60 billion in labor income earned across Washington households
Twenty-four GW of new clean generation could provide enough electricity to power approximately 7 million homes each year. The 13 GW of storage could power roughly 11 million homes for a four-hour period during peak demand.
The analysis shows that economic and job growth is spread throughout Washington, with the construction industry experiencing the most gains in employment, and Southeast and Central Washington experiencing the biggest increase in economic growth.
Alongside the report, Clean & Prosperous has released the Build SHIIT map, which maps all 258 projects featured in the study and allows the user to understand the scale of economic activity, energy capacity, and job growth at risk down to the regional level. View the Build SHIIT map here.
The Build SHIIT report and map provide a material sense of what is at stake should Washington’s business-as-usual clean energy development process continue. To continue this work, Clean & Prosperous is developing a Build SHIIT coalition to support and advance clean energy projects across the Pacific Northwest. If you are interested in joining the coalition, please reach out to info@cleanandprosperous.org.
Statements from Build SHIIT partners:
“Combating climate change and cleaning up our air requires one thing above all else: We must transition off of polluting and expensive fossil fuels. To do that, we need to build more clean energy facilities and we must do it much faster. Our goal with this report is to make clear the urgent stakes of continued delay, and to kickstart action across legislators, regulators, investors, and the broader community,” said Michael Mann, Executive Director, Clean & Prosperous.
“Electricity demand is rising fast, and meeting it sustainably requires building clean power and grid infrastructure at a much faster pace. The good news is that Washington already has hundreds of clean energy and manufacturing projects in the pipeline. Advancing them would unlock tens of gigawatts of new capacity, more than 580,000 jobs, and an estimated $149 billion boost to the state’s economy. It’s a clear win for both the economy and the clean energy transition, but only if stakeholders can move these projects from the pipeline into the ground,” said Ashna Aggarwal, Director of Analysis, Greenline Insights.
“The future of our economy depends on clean energy—it’s a proven job creator and an affordability solution. In Washington, we’ve already shown that we can reduce carbon pollution while growing our economy. It’s time to take that to the next level,” said Casey Sixkiller, Director, Washington State Department of Ecology.
“Washington has long been the undisputed leader in climate initiatives, and it is not the time for us to fall behind. We are committed to reclaiming our leadership position and setting an even higher standard in renewable energy growth. Our economy and environment depend on our fast and bold leadership,” said Joe Nguyen, Director, Washington State Department of Commerce.
“Washington has some of the strongest labor standards in the country and a workforce ready to build and operate our clean energy future but right now, those jobs are being left on the table. When we fail to permit and build the infrastructure required for clean power, transmission, and manufacturing, we’re not just delaying climate progress, we’re forfeiting thousands of family-wage, union jobs and billions in economic activity. Washington’s inaction is costing working people real opportunities and putting our reputation as a climate leader at risk. Climate leadership means building things—and if we can’t build, we can’t lead,” said Cassie Bordelon, Executive Director, Climate Jobs Washington.
“Washington is a clear leader with some of the most innovative climate and clean energy policies in the country, but we woefully lag in our business-as-usual approach to permitting, siting, and connecting clean energy projects to the grid. We need an all hands on deck approach from legislators, regulators, investors, and the broader community to build and connect more clean energy now,” said James Hove, Washington State Director, Climate Solutions.
“Washington state is an innovation powerhouse. With investments in transmission infrastructure, it can lead in clean energy manufacturing and great jobs, too,” said Chris Dougher, VP, Operations, Sila.
“At Energy Northwest, we are committed to providing safe, reliable, cost-effective and responsible power. Delivering innovative, carbon-free energy technologies is core to what we do, and we support efforts to scale and accelerate clean energy development across Washington state. Collaborative action is essential to turn plans into progress to ensure our state meets its clean energy goals,” said Greg Cullen, Vice President, Energy Services and Development, Energy Northwest.
About Clean & Prosperous
Clean & Prosperous advances smart climate policies with a strategic, data-driven approach. As champions of Washington’s cap-and-invest program, the Climate Commitment Act, Clean & Prosperous is at the forefront of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while fostering healthier communities, creating quality jobs, strengthening Washington’s global economic competitiveness, and setting a national standard for effective climate action.
About Greenline Insights
Greenline Insights is a non-partisan research firm dedicated to delivering clear, data-driven analysis on climate, energy, and public policy. Through modeling and interdisciplinary research spanning economics, energy systems, public health, and infrastructure, Greenline provides decision-makers with actionable insights that support resilient communities and strong local economies.
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