Washington Creates State Authority to Strengthen Energy Transmission

Overview

In March 2026, Washington state enacted S.B. 6355 to establish the Washington Electric Transmission Authority (WETA) — a new public entity tasked with planning, siting, and financing energy transmission infrastructure. The new law will help to ensure the state’s energy system remains reliable, secure, and affordable in the years ahead amid rising energy rates and increasing strain on the country’s electrical grid. 

• Why It Matters: As electricity demand rises, states are placing greater emphasis on transmission infrastructure — the high-voltage networks that deliver power where it’s needed. With the electrical grid strained by rising demand, aging infrastructure, extreme weather, and new large users like data centers, limited transmission capacity can lead to congestion, higher costs, reliability risks, and interconnection backlogs. It is estimated that the U.S. must add about 5,000 miles of high-capacity transmission annually to ensure energy reliability, resilience, and affordability. Transmission authorities provide a mechanism for states, especially those without a regional transmission organization (RTO), to coordinate and formalize transmission planning, helping to relieve pressures on the electrical grid and ratepayers.

Key Components of the Bill

S.B. 6355 establishes the Washington Electric Transmission Authority (WETA) and outlines several core functions to support transmission capacity, including:

• Transmission Planning & Project Coordination: WETA will identify high-priority transmission corridors and help to coordinate the siting, permitting, and development of transmission projects. The authority will work in partnership with utilities, developers, and other stakeholders to accelerate project timelines and improve system efficiency.
• Advanced Technologies & Wildfire Risk: The authority will support nonwire alternatives and advanced technologies — such as energy storage and grid-enhancing technologies — to reduce wildfire risk and minimize environmental impacts from transmission infrastructure.
• Tribal Consultation: The law mandates the development of a formal Tribal consultation framework for transmission planning. WETA will include a 10-member board, including one member who is a citizen of a federally recognized Tribe with ceded lands in Washington.
• Dedicated Funding: The law creates operating and capital accounts for transmission infrastructure funded by legislative appropriations, fees, federal funds, and other sources. The law also establishes payments to local governments that host transmission infrastructure.

National Context

Washington joins a growing list of states taking action on transmission authority and modernization. In 2021, the Colorado legislature passed S.B. 072 to establish the Colorado Electric Transmission Authority (CETA), and New Mexico established its Renewable Energy Transmission Authority (RETA) in 2007. 

Stay Informed on State Policy With NCEL

Stay up to date on trends in transmission policy across the country this year with NCEL’s Bill Tracking Map. You can also learn more about transmission policy solutions for your state on NCEL’s Transmission Issue Page.