Early planning for clean energy projects

Utility-scale generally refers to projects that produce electricity for the state-wide electrical grid. Clean energy projects include a broad range of proposals:  

• Alternative jet fuel facility  
• Battery energy storage  
• Biofuel and biomass energy generation  
• Clean energy product manufacturing  
• Electrical transmission   
• Emerging clean energy technologies  
• Energy-Intensive Trade-Exposed (EITE) projects which reduce greenhouse gases to align with the cap trajectory in RCW 70A.65 and do not degrade local air pollution  
• Green electrolytic or renewable hydrogen  
• Nuclear fusion  
• Pumped hydro storage  
• Solar energy  
• Sustainable aviation fuel facility  
• Wind energy  

Once we receive a request to meet, we will coordinate with you to find time for virtual meeting. These usually last about an hour. To help ensure the right agency experts participate, we will ask you to provide more information about your project in advance.   

At the meeting please be prepared to provide a brief overview about the project. This should be a 10-15 minute overview and should include information about the project site and technology, and any known potential environmental impacts. 

We will provide feedback about potential impacts and discuss the permits our department is likely to need.  This informal early planning meeting is designed to be interactive, giving developers an opportunity to ask clarifying questions.  

Following the meeting, we will provide a summary of the topics discussed, agency contacts, and recommended next steps. 

The more information you can provide, the more detailed our feedback will be. Examples of information include: 

• Ownership of proposed site  
• Types of air emissions 
• Waterbodies, including wetlands, on or adjacent to the proposed site, and whether they are protected under the federal Clean Water Act.  
• Anticipated impacts to waterbodies, including wetlands (e.g., filling, excavating, dredging, etc) 
• Stormwater and wastewater discharges and proposed methods for managing discharges 
• Water uses and sources 
• Any known contamination 
• Fuel to be stored on site, including types and storage capacity 
• Hazardous materials, including use, storage, and disposal 
• Energy sources and utility infrastructure needs 
• Transportation, including rail or vessel traffic 

No, this early planning meeting occurs outside of permitting. Some permits and certifications do require a pre-application or pre-filing meeting with us before a developer submits their permit application. This meeting is separate from those processes, but we will provide information about the likely permits to be needed as well as Ecology contacts. 

If a project changes, or new potential impacts are identified, please contact us for a follow-up meeting to review any changes on project impacts and permits.