Bipartisan coalition of 11 Western governors commit to collaborating on transmission lines, building a stronger, well-connected regional grid

(Deer Valley, UT) Today, 11 Western governors signed a letter of agreement establishing a first-of-its-kind in the West task force to accelerate transmission permitting and promote the development of a stronger grid capable of supporting robust economic growth, handling increased demand and withstanding increasingly extreme weather events. At the annual Western Governors Association meeting, this bipartisan group of governors from Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, North Dakota, New Mexico, and Washington affirmed the need to modernize an aging transmission network and unlock the region’s diverse energy resources.  

Long-distance transmission lines deliver electricity from where it’s generated to where it’s used, but it can take 10-15 years to build new lines due to the many state and local jurisdictions involved, a historic lack of coordination among states, and piecemeal planning and permitting processes. As a result, new construction has not been able to keep up with surging electricity demand. 

“The West can't meet rapidly rising power demand or withstand more extreme weather and heat with yesterday's grid. Expanding and upgrading transmission across state lines is essential to delivering the reliable, affordable and clean power that families and businesses need,” said Veronica Ung-Kono, Attorney for U.S. Clean Energy at Environmental Defense Fund. “By agreeing to work together, these governors are stepping up to break down long-standing barriers that have held back much-needed grid upgrades.” 

Collective solutions for complex electric grid challenges 

The governors’ agreement includes an endorsement of the Western Transmission Expansion Coalition (WestTEC) and a commitment to establishing a multi-state task force that would accelerate transmission permitting. By endorsing the coalition, these governors are demonstrating their commitment to bipartisan solutions that can secure sorely needed upgrades to a regional grid that’s straining under numerous pressures. Those pressures include increasing energy demand from data centers, industry and electrification of buildings and transportation, old energy generation retiring while new resources come online, and extreme weather altering demand trends across the region. 

WestTEC, which counts utilities, planning bodies, state and Tribal governments, public interest organizations and other stakeholders among its members, recently issued a report providing clear guidance for states navigating this complicated landscape. The WestTEC roadmap lays out the steps that should be taken over the next decade to establish a more reliable and affordable regional grid. These include specific projects, recommendations for engaging with communities and Tribes and clear cost breakdowns that show both the upfront expenses and long-term savings that these upgrades will make possible.  

Pursuing priority changes 

The other component of the governors’ letter of agreement is the Transmission Permitting Alignment and Coordination Task Force. This task force reflects the urgent need to coordinate permitting across states under existing laws to accelerate transmission build out across the region. The task force will be guided by the following objectives: establishing a governor-led regional framework; prioritizing high-impact transmission lines; developing predictable, multi-state permitting schedules; strengthening cross-state collaboration and sharing of best practices; strengthening local and tribal participation; and maintaining strong federal relationships. 

This announcement follows the launch of a new regional day-ahead electricity market in the West that will better coordinate the sharing of low-cost clean power from where it’s produced to where it’s needed. This expanding regional collaboration makes building and modernizing a strong backbone of transmission lines in the West capable of delivering that power more important than ever. 

“A more resilient, interconnected grid is a more reliable, affordable grid—and one that offers clear benefits for the West,” said Ung-Kono.