Senate Bill 6355<\/a>, sponsored by Sen. Victoria Hunt (D-Issaquah), establishes the Washington Electric Transmission Authority, a statewide entity designed to improve coordination, reliability and long-term planning of the state\u2019s electric transmission system. As Washington faces rising electricity demand and an accelerated transition to clean energy, the need for modern, interconnected transmission infrastructure has become increasingly urgent.<\/p>\n\u201cWashington cannot meet its clean energy goals or support continued economic growth without a reliable, modern grid,\u201d Hunt said. \u201cThis law is about building the infrastructure that connects communities, unlocks new energy resources and ensures affordable, dependable power for families and businesses across our state.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the law, the authority will work in partnership with electric utilities, tribes, labor organizations, local governments and private developers to advance transmission projects that expand grid capacity and connect new renewable energy resources. The legislation prioritizes projects that improve reliability, serve multiple regions and would not otherwise move forward without state coordination.<\/p>\n
In addition to expanding infrastructure, the law emphasizes cost-effective and innovative approaches, including upgrades to existing lines, advanced transmission technologies and non-wire alternatives. It also establishes labor standards intended to support family-wage jobs and apprenticeship opportunities, while requiring efforts to minimize environmental impacts, reduce wildfire risk and protect vulnerable communities.<\/p>\n
The authority will be governed by a 10-member board with expertise in utilities, clean energy, labor, finance and land use, ensuring balanced oversight and accountability. The law directs the Governor\u2019s Office of Indian Affairs, in coordination with the Department of Commerce and the Department of Ecology, to convene federally recognized tribes to develop a statewide tribal consultation framework for electric transmission planning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a practical, forward-looking solution to one of the biggest barriers in our clean energy transition,\u201d Hunt said. \u201cWe are creating a path to build critical infrastructure faster, more efficiently and in a way that reflects Washington\u2019s values.\u201d<\/p>\n
The law takes effect June 10, 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
OLYMPIA \u2014 Gov. Bob Ferguson on Monday signed legislation aimed at strengthening Washington\u2019s electric grid, expanding transmission capacity and supporting the state\u2019s transition to a clean energy future. Senate Bill 6355, sponsored by Sen. Victoria Hunt (D-Issaquah), establishes the Washington Electric Transmission Authority, a statewide entity designed to improve coordination, reliability and long-term planning of the state\u2019s electric transmission system. As Washington faces rising electricity demand and an accelerated transition to clean energy, the need for modern, interconnected transmission infrastructure has become increasingly urgent. \u201cWashington cannot meet its clean energy goals or support continued economic growth without a reliable, modern…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":3203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-release"],"yoast_head":"\n
Hunt legislation to strengthen Washington\u2019s electric grid, clean energy future signed into law - Sen. Victoria Hunt<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hunt legislation to strengthen Washington\u2019s electric grid, clean energy future signed into law - Sen. Victoria Hunt\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"OLYMPIA \u2014 Gov. Bob Ferguson on Monday signed legislation aimed at strengthening Washington\u2019s electric grid, expanding transmission capacity and supporting the state\u2019s transition to a clean energy future. Senate Bill 6355, sponsored by Sen. Victoria Hunt (D-Issaquah), establishes the Washington Electric Transmission Authority, a statewide entity designed to improve coordination, reliability and long-term planning of the state\u2019s electric transmission system. As Washington faces rising electricity demand and an accelerated transition to clean energy, the need for modern, interconnected transmission infrastructure has become increasingly urgent. \u201cWashington cannot meet its clean energy goals or support continued economic growth without a reliable, modern...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sen. Victoria Hunt\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-31T20:47:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-31T20:47:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2026\/03\/20260330_150056cr-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1706\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"clamas\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"clamas\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/\",\"name\":\"Hunt legislation to strengthen Washington\u2019s electric grid, clean energy future signed into law - Sen. Victoria Hunt\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2026\/03\/20260330_150056cr-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-31T20:47:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T20:47:44+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/#\/schema\/person\/223b313787e6da834a1d3c7be2d7bfd7\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2026\/03\/20260330_150056cr-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2026\/03\/20260330_150056cr-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1706,\"caption\":\"Governor Ferguson signs Substitute Senate Bill No. 6355 - March 30, 2026. Relating to creating partnerships to improve the reliability and capacity of the electric transmission system, including through a Washington electric transmission authority. Primary Sponsor: Sen. Victoria Hunt\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Hunt legislation to strengthen Washington\u2019s electric grid, clean energy future signed into law\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/\",\"name\":\"Sen. Victoria Hunt\",\"description\":\"Putting People First\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/#\/schema\/person\/223b313787e6da834a1d3c7be2d7bfd7\",\"name\":\"clamas\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f7f45783555e6634ed3b48bf4d3cd715fce5534a3ffa4be3c2a3a10707653757?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f7f45783555e6634ed3b48bf4d3cd715fce5534a3ffa4be3c2a3a10707653757?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"clamas\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/author\/clamas\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Hunt legislation to strengthen Washington\u2019s electric grid, clean energy future signed into law - Sen. Victoria Hunt","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Hunt legislation to strengthen Washington\u2019s electric grid, clean energy future signed into law - Sen. Victoria Hunt","og_description":"OLYMPIA \u2014 Gov. Bob Ferguson on Monday signed legislation aimed at strengthening Washington\u2019s electric grid, expanding transmission capacity and supporting the state\u2019s transition to a clean energy future. Senate Bill 6355, sponsored by Sen. Victoria Hunt (D-Issaquah), establishes the Washington Electric Transmission Authority, a statewide entity designed to improve coordination, reliability and long-term planning of the state\u2019s electric transmission system. As Washington faces rising electricity demand and an accelerated transition to clean energy, the need for modern, interconnected transmission infrastructure has become increasingly urgent. \u201cWashington cannot meet its clean energy goals or support continued economic growth without a reliable, modern...","og_url":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/","og_site_name":"Sen. Victoria Hunt","article_published_time":"2026-03-31T20:47:09+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-31T20:47:44+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1706,"url":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2026\/03\/20260330_150056cr-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"clamas","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"clamas","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/","url":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/","name":"Hunt legislation to strengthen Washington\u2019s electric grid, clean energy future signed into law - Sen. Victoria Hunt","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2026\/03\/20260330_150056cr-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2026-03-31T20:47:09+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-31T20:47:44+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/#\/schema\/person\/223b313787e6da834a1d3c7be2d7bfd7"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2026\/03\/20260330_150056cr-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2026\/03\/20260330_150056cr-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1706,"caption":"Governor Ferguson signs Substitute Senate Bill No. 6355 - March 30, 2026. Relating to creating partnerships to improve the reliability and capacity of the electric transmission system, including through a Washington electric transmission authority. Primary Sponsor: Sen. Victoria Hunt"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/2026\/03\/31\/hunt-legislation-to-strengthen-washingtons-electric-grid-clean-energy-future-signed-into-law\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Hunt legislation to strengthen Washington\u2019s electric grid, clean energy future signed into law"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/#website","url":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/","name":"Sen. Victoria Hunt","description":"Putting People First","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/#\/schema\/person\/223b313787e6da834a1d3c7be2d7bfd7","name":"clamas","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f7f45783555e6634ed3b48bf4d3cd715fce5534a3ffa4be3c2a3a10707653757?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f7f45783555e6634ed3b48bf4d3cd715fce5534a3ffa4be3c2a3a10707653757?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"clamas"},"url":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/author\/clamas\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2026\/03\/20260330_150056cr-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3202"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3204,"href":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3202\/revisions\/3204"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/hunt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}