It’s Not Easy Going Green: Episode 2
An obscure state agency, the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, has the power to quash local dissent over clean power. It’s not very popular.
Wind turbines, part of the Nine Canyon Wind Project located southeast of Kennewick, as seen from Horse Heaven Hills on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Emree Weaver for Cascade PBS)
What is the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, or EFSEC, anyway? While so many of Washington’s proposed renewable energy projects are mired in controversy, one thing all sides can agree on is their criticism of EFSEC.
The state body, which is empowered to override local laws and recommend permits for new energy projects, is routinely critiqued by everyone from clean energy developers to Indigenous nations to even the state legislature.
Subscribe to Northwest Reports on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or Podbean.
Brandon Block explains why this facility-permitting council was created in the first place, how it works and what reforms might be in order.
Read Block’s investigation here.
