North American Windpower: Washington State Legislators Consider Changing Renewable Portfolio Standard

Washington State Legislators Consider Changing Renewable Portfolio Standard

by NAW Staff Wednesday February 22 2012

Capital investment to date in Washington energy produced from wind, solar, geothermal and biomass has exceeded $7.9 billion, according to data released by Renewable Northwest Project, a regional nonprofit advocacy group.

"This is a pivotal time for economic recovery and environmental protection, and Washington's renewable energy resources are delivering the solutions we need," said Rachel Shimshak, executive director at Renewable Northwest Project, in a statement.

However, the Washington state legislature is considering changes to the renewable energy standard in the state’s voter-approved clean energy law, Initiative 937 (I-937). Passed in 2006, I-937 advanced Washington’s role as a national renewable energy leader, attracting renewable industry businesses and capital investments to the state, according to the group.

The group says the future of I-937 is uncertain, just as uncertainty surrounds regional transmission policies and federal renewable energy policies, such as the production tax credit, which will expire unless extended.

U.S.-based manufacturers and their employees are benefiting from the renewable energy investments in Washington. The Katana-Summit wind turbine component manufacturing facility in Ephrata employs 150 people. The solar photovoltaic manufacturing sector has brought more than $1 billion in capital investment to the state since 2006 and employs more than 720 full-time workers.

Despite the lagging economy, rapid growth of renewable energy projects in the Northwest helped the Port of Vancouver to retain jobs during the recession, due largely to logistics handling for wind energy parts. The port handled more than 3,300 individual wind turbine parts in 2011, and wind energy business accounts for a significant amount of the port’s annual marine revenues.

In 2011, Washington's installed wind capacity grew 22% to 2,573 MW.

"Renewable energy resources - paired with optimal efficiency - offer the best choice for healthy economies, communities and the environment," said Shimshak. "We are proud of the progress that Washington has achieved and urge state leaders, federal policymakers and citizens to expand Washington’s clean energy leadership and the benefits it brings to our region."

Latest Top Stories

Post-FIT Decision, Turbine OEMs Mull Over Options For Ontario Wind Energy Market

Under political pressure, the Ontario government recently pulled the plug on its landmark feed-in tariff (FIT) program for large-scale renewable energy projects, leaving provincial suppliers and manufacturers with an uncertain future.

Continent's First Grid-Connected Offshore Wind Turbine Floats In Maine Waters

Billed as a historic day for offshore wind in North America, researchers flipped the switch on a floating prototype. This marks the first electrons from an offshore wind turbine to flow into the region's grid.

Raising The Discourse: How Wind Industry Can Help Avoid 'Climate Emergency'

Larry Schweiger, the president/CEO at the National Wildlife Federation, says the wind industry is an important ally to combat global warming, which is triggering dangerous and unprecedented weather events around the world.

The Numbers Don't Lie: U.S. Utilities Continue To Embrace Wind Energy

Last year, more than 40% of U.S. utilities reported having wind energy on their systems, proving the fact that utilities continue to integrate wind in growing numbers – and, in some cases, at unprecedented levels.

BOEM To Award Mass., R.I. Offshore Wind Leases; Pre-Qualifies Nine Developers

In July, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will auction nearly 165,000 acres off the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts to facilitate offshore wind development.