Northwest States’ Green Energy Goals Stall for Lack of Power Lines

Oregon and Washington have passed ambitious laws to achieve carbon-free electricity but are struggling to build the actual infrastructure needed—particularly power lines that transport wind and solar energy from rural areas to cities. A federal agency overseeing much of the Pacific Northwest grid has been slow to invest in new transmission upgrades. Consequently, hundreds of proposed wind and solar projects remain in limbo, jeopardizing each state’s decarbonization timelines.