Boehnke files bill to restrict governor’s influence on siting of energy projects

OLYMPIA…Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, the new ranking Republican on the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee (ENET), has pre-filed a bill that is aimed at reforming the siting of energy projects by ensuring the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) has the final say, rather than the governor.

Boehnke believes a recent EFSEC process to approve the revised site certification agreement for the Horse Heaven wind farm in the 8th District did not properly account for local concerns and gave the governor too much authority. To remedy this, Boehnke has filed SB 5015. It will be formally introduced when the Legislature convenes Monday for its 2025 session.

“Senate Bill 5015 is drawn from the lessons learned from recent projects where the governor has sought to influence council decisions,” Boehnke said. “The bill would confirm that the council is actually in a better position than the governor to make the final decision because the council has done the hard work of reviewing the projects and hearing from all sides.”

“Removing the governor from the final approval process would have the added benefits of depoliticizing the process and help make this process more efficient and effective. This bill will apply to any governor and seeks to improve an important state process. If passed, the bill is not retroactive or specific to any particular project.”

The energy facility site evaluation process culminates in a recommendation to the governor as the final step. Boehnke believes the site evaluation process would be improved if the council had the authority to make the final decision without the necessity of making a recommendation to the governor.

Boehnke expects his bill to be considered by the Senate ENET committee. The 105-day legislative session is scheduled to end on April 27. 

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