As the chaos emanating from our nation’s capital continues to confound, the Clean Energy Transition Institute team is holding steady with a clear focus on the many projects we’re working on in 2025 that advance clean energy solutions in the Northwest.

Throughout the year, we will explore economic, technical, and human challenges to implementing a clean energy transition, some of which include affordability and cost allocation; transmission and renewable energy siting and permitting; workforce development; community engagement; and the rural-urban divide.

For the first half of 2025, we continue our work from last year providing technical and economic analysis for Washington and Oregon to support strategies and policies to achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

This year with SCALE 2030 we will build upon our clean building ecosystem assessment and transition framework and work with policymakers and advocates to develop a policy roadmap in time for Washington’s 2026 legislative session. We will also continue working on projects that enable rural communities to define their clean energy destinies and engaging with the critical challenge of developing transmission through our work on the Western Transmission Expansion Coalition (WestTEC).

We launched our Decarbonization Forum series late in 2024 with our Emissions Accounting webinar, which proved extremely popular. In 2025, we will start with a forum on the impact of datacenters and AI on the demand for electricity in the context of meeting clean electricity targets. We will follow up with a forum on scaling clean buildings. On deck as topics to explore for future forums are carbon dioxide removal technologies; maritime decarbonization; and/or sustainable aviation fuel.

CETI will continue to work as hard as we can to not lose momentum accelerating an equitable clean energy transition in the Northwest. Thank you very much for your ongoing support and engagement.

Eileen V. Quigley
Executive Director

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Featured Report: Washington State Refinery Economic Impact Study

In 2024 CETI supported Western Washington University’s (WWU) Center for Economic and Business and Research with a study designed to assess the current and potential future economic impact of Washington’s refineries.

The Washington State Refinery Economic Impact Study was prepared for the Department of Commerce and assessed how the state’s oil refining market and industry might change over time under different scenarios for product demand and raw materials availability. Statutory language required that possible future outcomes explored in the study must consider “realistic, real-world outcomes, given existing mandated decarbonization targets, feedstock availability and statutes that impact Washington refinery products.”

Members from the team that produced the study are hosting a public webinar on Thursday, April 3 from 12–1pm PDT to discuss the background and approach of the study, key findings, and next steps. There will also be time for audience Q&A. You can register here.

Program Updates

Oregon Energy Strategy

The CETI Team’s technical modeling for the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) energy strategy is finished. ODOE is holding a series of policy working groups to reflect on the results of the modeling and identify policy gaps and opportunities for the state to achieve its greenhouse gas reduction targets.

The CETI team is now working on complementary analyses that examine how household energy costs might change over time and the potential effects of reduced air pollutants. ODOE is holding an information session in April to present results from these analyses; learn more and join online here.

Washington Emissions Pathways

The baseline technical modeling for the Washington State Comprehensive Climate Action Plan is complete, and Evolved Energy Research has moved on to modeling the economic impacts of achieving Washington’s mandated decarbonization targets. The Department of Commerce will hold the Spring Quarterly Public Meeting on Monday, April 28 from 2-3:30pm PDT at which the technical modeling will be presented. To register, please see here.

Rural Clean Energy Study

CETI is working with Ross Strategic on research for the Washington State Department of Commerce that supplements the Rural Clean Energy Economics and Community Engagement Study and Report produced last year. The goal of this follow-on work is to identify opportunities, barriers, and best practices for establishing community benefit agreements (CBAs) as a commonly accepted component of clean energy projects. CETI will produce a focused literature review and conduct in-depth interviews that will provide insights from organizations in other states that have successfully implemented CBAs.

Deep Dive into Washington’s Building Ecosystem

This month, Research Analyst Jeanne Currie summarized key insights from our soon-to-be-released SCALE 2030: Clean Buildings Ecosystem Assessment for Washington. The paper examines Washington’s current building stock, energy use, and emissions to inform statewide clean building transition efforts. Read the blog to learn more.

Stay Tuned…

. . . for three exciting events from some of our partners:

• Washington Conservation Action Education Fund’s Annual Gala, Cascade: Building Power, Moving Mountains, is on Friday, May 2 at 6pm in Seattle. Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and writer, director, and founder of August Island Pictures Mark Titus will be featured speakers at the event. Buy your ticket here.
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• The Northwest Energy Coalition is holding its Spring 2025 Clean & Affordable Energy Conference in Missoula, Montana on Wednesday, May 7. Three panel discussions will explore how Tribal communities are developing new energy resources while managing existing resources; how new transmission can help with reliability issues in the energy system while unlocking the development of responsibly sited new renewables; and the challenges communities face in implementing energy efficiency programs while meeting affordable housing needs. You can register here.
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• Climate Solutions is hosting its Annual Dinner event in Seattle on Tuesday, May 20 at 5pm. Jigar Shah, a serial entrepreneur, investor, and energy strategist who most recently served as the Director of the Loan Programs Office at the U.S. Department of Energy, will be the guest speaker. Learn more and register here.

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