About the Forum
CETI’s decarbonization forum, Washington Transmission: Why, How, and for Whom?, is designed to educate and engage policymakers, regulators, business people, and clean energy advocates on three recent transmission initiatives: the Western Transmission Expansion Coalition (WestTEC), the newly formed Washington Electric Transmission Authority (WETA), and The Western Transmission Consortium (TWTC). The forum will explore these efforts as tools to accelerate transmission expansion in Washington state while identifying key considerations that need to be addressed for the benefit of Washington’s economy and entire population.
The forum’s goal is to help key Washington decision-makers understand the case for investing in transmission, the barriers that exist to meeting the region’s transmission needs, and recent collaborative solutions to overcome those barriers without adverse impacts to environmental, cultural, and agricultural resources.
When & Where
Thursday, November 19, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Bertha Knight Landes Room, Seattle City Hall 600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104.
The Bertha Knight Landes Room is located on the first floor of City Hall. It is accessed through the 5th Avenue entrance between James and Cherry streets. For an accessible ADA entrance, enter through the glass doors located at the northwest corner of the building on 4th Avenue and Cherry Street.
Please consider using public transportation to attend this event if you can. Directions to City Hall (driving and public transport) and parking information can be found at City Hall Visitor Information.
Event Proceedings
The event will kick off with three brief presentations to set the scene with WestTEC, WETA, and TWTC. A panel will follow to discuss how these three initiatives can successfully accelerate a thoughtful build-out of transmission. The event will conclude with a Q&A and networking reception (vegetarian appetizers and NA beverages provided).
To accompany the forum, CETI is producing Washington Transmission 101 as a resource that outlines the challenges and key players involved in accelerating transmission in Washington state. This document will be available online in the Forum Documents & Resources section of this webpage the week of the event and distributed in print at the forum on November 19.
View the schedule below for a full list of presenters and panelists. Panelist bios will be available soon in the Event Pamphlet in the Forum Documents & Resources section of this webpage.
Schedule
Topic: What is your initiative’s role in transmission development in Washington?
Presenters:
· Sarah Edmonds | WestTEC
· Heather Moline | WA Department of Commerce
· Mike Nelson | TWTC
Topic: How can these newer initiatives work together, along with existing entities and initiatives, to advance transmission build-out in Washington?
Moderator: Becky Kelley | CETI
Panelists:
· Ravi Aggarwal | Bonneville Power Administration
· Sarah Edmonds | WestTEC
· Shaun Foster | Puget Sound Energy
· Heather Moline | WA Department of Commerce
· Mike Nelson | TWTC
· Brian Rybarik | Utilities & Transportation Commission
The panel will discuss questions such as:
· Why is it so hard to build transmission? What community-wide or socioeconomic considerations need to be addressed to successfully build transmission?
· What would it take to achieve the WestTEC 2035 and 2045 recommended transmission improvements? Who can play what roles in ensuring these improvements happen?
· How should the costs of transmission be distributed? What processes are successfully establishing a cost distribution method for transmission projects, or what other processes are needed?
Forum Documents & Resources
