WASHINGTON STATE – The Department of Ecology’s Clean Energy Council has released a new report with recommendations for the governor and state legislature. These recommendations were developed with input from tribes, industry and interested parties.

The report addresses concerns such as the limitations of the state’s electrical grid, planning for emerging technologies and supporting tribal clean energy projects and local government planning. The Department of Ecology stated that Washington has already made significant strides toward achieving clean energy goals.

Electricity needs in the state are projected to double by 2050, with even more demand expected for large energy users, like data centers.

State Senator Matt Boehnke of Kennewick issued a warning about the region’s energy outlook. In a statement, Boehnke highlighted a new analysis projecting potential power shortfalls during extreme conditions.

“The Pacific Northwest needs diverse, reliable power resources. We need energy sources that remain strong when nature surprises us, including hydropower, advanced nuclear storage, wind, solar, and more,” Boehnke said.

The analysis was conducted by Energy and Environmental Economics for the region’s largest utilities. It models thousands of years of weather, hydropower, renewable energy and demand scenarios. The conclusion drawn is that in a dry hydropower year combined with a multi-day cold snap, the Northwest could face reliability challenges as early as next year.