In 2023, facing increasing concern that Washington's lengthy and cumbersome permitting process could slow down the transition to low-carbon and carbon-free resources mandated by Washington’s statutes aimed at decarbonization the state’s economy by mid-century, the Washington Legislature directed the state’s Department of Commerce to conduct a study of permitting processes in Washington and to recommend reforms to those processes that will reduce unnecessary barriers to expansion of renewable energy, electric transmission, and other clean energy and low-carbon infrastructure. The Department of Commerce contracted with Beveridge and Diamond to conduct the study. The study was recently finalized, and is available here.

The report, authored by Principal Eric Christensen (Seattle) and a team of B&D lawyers including Seattle Associates Chris Bolte, Katy O’Keefe, Jesse Miles, and Jason Frank, and Boston Associate Joe Ruggiero, recommends a variety of reforms to state and local permitting processes based on permitting reforms adopted by the U.S. government, other states with aggressive decarbonization goals similar to Washington’s, and reforms adopted by the European Union. The report was submitted to the Washington Legislature on July 23 and is intended to serve as the starting point for legislative reforms to state and local permitting.

On July 30, Eric Christensen will summarize the report’s recommendations at a Department of Commerce webinar. Registration for the webinar is available here.

Beveridge & Diamond's Renewable Energy and Infrastructure, Project Development and Permitting practice groups assist clients with the maze of environmental, land use, and other permits that developers of major projects, including renewable energy and electric transmission infrastructure, must obtain to construct major projects. The firm’s Air and Climate Change practice groups guide clients through the rapidly-changing landscape of climate-related law and regulation. With an office in Seattle, we closely track West Coast GHG regulatory developments and their impacts on stakeholders. We represent clients engaged in all aspects of the carbon and carbon offset markets, including entities acquiring carbon offsets for compliance or voluntary purposes, carbon offset project developers, and secondary market participants. For more information, please contact the authors.