Efficient and Effective Clean Energy Siting with WA’s Regulatory Leaders

For our second panel at the Future of Carbon Policy Forum, we were thrilled to host Washington State Department of Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller, Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) Chair Kurt Beckett, and (the now former) Washington State Department of Commerce Director Joe Nguyen for a discussion on clean energy siting, moderated by our Government Affairs Director Isaac Kastama!

The leaders discussed what’s working, what isn’t, and what comes next in our collective effort to dramatically scale up clean energy development.

The conversation followed the release of our Build Sustainable High Impact Infrastructure Together report; you can find more information here if you haven’t already explored the findings.

*From left to right: Isaac Kastama, Director Casey Sixkiller, Chair Kurt Beckett, Director Joe Nguyen*

Here are some key takeaways from each leader:

EFSEC Chair Kurt Beckett: “Part of the answer – at least on wind – in Texas is…they planned ahead, and then they decided to invest in transmission infrastructure before the wind farms were there, because they knew the resource was there.”

Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller: “I think it’s important contextually to remember a couple of things. One is that…tribes…unlike businesses that can pick up stakes and move – tribes can’t. Where they are for the most part is where they’ve been since time immemorial…They have a different value system. What is urgent to you, is not necessarily urgent to them…You have to be okay with that…I think if we want to be successful in moving the work that you care about forward, we have to shift our mindset, and think of tribes not as a speed bump…but as a partner in what it is that we are trying to accomplish.”

Outgoing Commerce Director Joe Nguyen: “In the last four months we’ve probably lost out on about 15,000 jobs potentially in Washington state because we did not have enough energy. They wanted to be here, their clients were here, the workforce was here…but they couldn’t get the 10, 20, 50 megawatts that they wanted to be able to build.”

This legislative session, Clean & Prosperous is tracking a series of bills that may help build more clean energy much faster. As of this writing, ESSB 5466, which would establish a new transmission authority in Washington state, appears to be the most promising, although significantly more state action is needed to address siting and permitting barriers.

Thank you to our sponsors for making the 2026 Future of Carbon Policy Forum possible!

CCA Revenue Must Be Used to Create Jobs & Reduce Pollution

The 2026 legislative session is underway in Olympia! As legislators review and refine the Governor’s budget proposal, we want to be clear: Climate Commitment Act revenue should not be used for programs that are fundamentally outside the intent of the law.

Last year, an overwhelming majority of Washington voters made clear that they support Climate Commitment Act (CCA) investments going toward their intended purpose: Reducing climate and health-harming pollution while growing the clean energy economy. The Governor’s proposal to redirect nearly $600 million in CCA funds moves Washington further from those goals.

This week, the Seattle Times Editorial Board underscored the need to spend CCA funding on climate and clean energy projects: “But this sweep of funds raised through the state’s Climate Commitment Act carries risks for lawmakers. A wide majority of voters recently made clear they believe the state should fight climate change and mitigate its effects. Deviating from that clear mission could erode public trust.”

The highest and best use of CCA funding is on sustainable solutions that decarbonize our economy and increase access to more affordable, accessible, and clean fuel sources. The clean energy transition will save families money on their utility bills, their transportation costs, and their insurance.

Take action today to protect CCA investments.

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