Executive Order Accelerating Clean Energy Projects

EXECUTIVE ORDER 25-11 ACCELERATING AND SUPPORTING CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS BEFORE THE FEDERAL ROLLBACK OF ENERGY TAX CREDITS WHEREAS, it is the policy of Washington state to address the impacts of climate change by leading the transition to a clean e nergy economy; and WHEREAS, Washington state recognizes the critical role of clean energy development in meeting the state’s greenhouse gas emissions limitations under chapter 70A.45 RCW, and in supporting the goals of the Climate Commitment Act and the Clea n Energy Transformation Act; and WHEREAS, Washington state has enacted the Clean Energy Transformation Act, which includes the following requirements to transition to a clean electric grid: ● 2025 – All electric utilities must eliminate coal-fired resources serving Washington state customers. ● 2030 – All retail sales of electricity to Washington customers must be greenhouse gas neutral. ● 2045 – 100% of all sales of electricity to Washington customers must be supplied from renewable or zero-carbon resources; and WHEREAS, demand for electricity is expected to increase across the re gion due to electrification needs and new demands f or electricity from large-load users; and WHEREAS, the development of clean energy facilities furthers Wa shington's goals of producing affordable electricity, ensuring sufficient energy supply, supporting family-wage jobs, and generating economic growth and property tax revenue for local communities; and WHEREAS, the development of clean energy must not be to the detriment of our natural environment, cultural resources, or the rights of Tribal Nations and the public to transparency and due process; and WHEREAS, the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) provides a framework to ensure potential environmental impacts are meaningfully reviewe d and considered in making decisions on proposed actions; and

2 WHEREAS, pursuant to Executive Order 25-10, proactive e ngagement and early and meaningful government- to -government consultation with federally recognized Tribal Nations will help ensure clean energy is developed in concert with tribal rights and interests; and WHEREAS, Washington state’s Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act promotes the equitable sharing of environmental benefits and investment in communities that have experienced the greatest environmental and health burdens; and WHEREAS, the Trump Administration continues to take actions to impede the development of solar energy, offshore and onshore wind energy, green hydrogen, battery manufacturing and battery storage, and other clean e nergy development; and WHEREAS, in 2025, the United States Congress passed and President Trump signed H.R.1, which phases out the federal clean electricity tax credit for the development of wind and solar energy projects and will increa se electricity costs across the United States, while also taking away hundreds of well-paying construction jobs and harming families, consumers, and the environment; and WHEREAS, the Internal Revenue Service ’s Notice No. 2025-42 provid es that to qualify for tax credits prior to expiration, wind and solar energy projects must either 1) begin construction by July 4, 2026, and complete construction and be gin service within four years, or 2) be placed in service by December 31, 2027; and WHEREAS, it remains a top priority of my administration to protect Wa shingtonians from the Trump Administration’s continued attacks on the working class and our economy, including its enactment of H.R.1 and also its cancellation of over eight billion dollars of clean energy funding that would have created tens of thousands of jobs; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bob Ferguson, Governor of the state of Washington, by the power vested in me by the Constitution and the statutes of the state of Wa shington, do hereby order and direct as follows: 1. Creation of a Joint Clean Energy Acceleration Team The Director of the Washington Department of Commerce, or their designee, shall chair, establish, and convene a Joint Clean Energy Acceleration Team to identify and address barriers to planned projects’ ability to qualify for federal clean e nergy tax credits. This team shall include, at a minimum, the Director of the Washington Department of Ecology or their designee, the Executive Director of the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council or their designee, the Chair of the Utilities and Transportation Commission or their designee, and other agency participation as deemed appropriate by the Chair. The Joint Clean Energy Acceleration Team shall convene within 30 days of the effective date of this Executive Order and shall: • By January 1, 2026, publish a list of utility-scale onshore wind and solar projects under development in Washington state that have submitted a formal SEPA application as of

3 November 2025. I dentify each such project’s current status and the work that will be needed to address barriers to meeting the criteria for federal tax credits within the timeframes established by IRS Notice No. 2025- 42; • Coordinate with the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs (GOIA), as appropriate, to engage with any sovereign Tribal Nations whose rights and interests may potentially be impacted by such projects; and • Report to the Governor’s Office, on a monthly basis for the next 18 months, eac h such project ’s status and any new issues identified that may impact the project’s qualification for federal tax credits. 2. Prioritization of Permit Review and Related Clean Energy Project A pprovals • The following cabinet agencies are subject to the directives in this section (2): o The Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EF SEC) o The Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) o The Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) o The Washington State Department of Commerce (Commerce) o The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) o The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) o The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) • Said agencies are directed to take any and all actions, within their existing authority, to prioritize the review of any permit application, plan, lease, or any other approval affiliated with a utility-scale onshore wind or solar energy project identified by the Joint Clean Energy Acceleration Team. Such actions may include, but are not necessarily limited to, prioritization of staff resources, use of phased environmental review, collaboration with local permitting authorities, and use of information provided by the applicant or third-party consultants sufficient to meet the needs of agencies. Such prioritized review shall also apply to facilities associated with identified projects, including but not limited to substations and adjacent transmission or distribution lines, which are necessary for utility-scale onshore wind or solar energy projects to be placed in service. As to WSDOT, this directive does not diminish the need to prioritize safe and efficient highway operations when considering applications involving the use of state highway rights of way. • If a utility-scale onshore wind or solar energy project is potentially eligible for federal clean energy tax credits, executive branch agenc ies shall not delay the review of any plan, permit application, lease, or any other approva l needed by the project on the grounds that the project may be separately subject to litigation or a se parate ongoing permit review process. • Using existing resources, the c abinet agencies identified above must dedicate resources to encourage and prioritize pre-application meetings with Tribal Nations and clean energy developers during the environmental review and permitting phases. Said agencies shall take actions as needed to prioritize Tribal consultation and review of SEPA actions,

4 approvals, and permits for identified clea n energy projects consistent with their regulatory authority. Each said agency shall establish and post on its website a single point of contact for clean energy project propone nts and the public. • Using existing resources, the cabinet agencies identified above shall support local governments in conducting thorough and timely environmental reviews of clean energy projects by developing tools and guidance and providing technical assistance as needed. • In addition, EFSEC shall expedite, for utility-scal e onshore wind or solar energy projects with an approved Site Certification Agreement, the re view of any subsequent plans, designs, approvals, or actions required for the project to begin construction pursuant to IRS Notice No. 2025-42. For wind or solar projects with an application under EFSEC review or having received site certifica tion, EFSEC shall, to the maximum extent practicable, seek to accelera te review, engage in Tribal consultation, and issue a final recommendation within a time frame that would allow the project to be gin construction or be placed in service such that it may qualify for federal tax credits. 3. Expediting Review and Approval of Utility Requests for Pr oposals to Procure Clean Energy Resources The UTC shall expedite the review of any new or pending filing of a Request for Proposals to procure clean energy resources potentially eligible for federal tax credits. To the extent consistent with its existing authority, the UTC shall grant exe mptions from procedural rules as necessary to fulfill this directive. In its expe dited review, the UTC shall consider the long- term power needs of the region and the likelihood of increased electricity costs caused by the expiration of the federal clean energy tax credits. This directive is limited to onshore wind and solar resources eligible or potentially eligible for fe deral clean energy tax credits. This directive is to be construed consistent with Washington’s policy of supporting family living wage jobs within Washington State and Governor Executive Orders. 4. Expediting Clean Energy Grant Awards • To allow grant-funded projects to claim federal tax credits, Commerce shall expedite the process of awarding and issuing contracts for clean energy projects with expiring tax credits, while complying with RCW 70A.65.305 regarding Tribal consultation. Commerce shall consider that certa in grant applicants may lack resources to initially fund projects while federal tax credit rebates are pending, and Commerce shall offer to connect these entities to available supportive resources. • Commerce shall prioritize awarding and issuing grant funds for clean energy projects that are ready to commence upon award of funds. In evaluating grant applications, Commerce shall prioritize awarding siting and permitting funding to proposals that address structural barriers to unlock opportunities for new clean energy project development across the state. * * *

5 All agencies subject to this Order shall submit an update to the Gove rnor ’s Office by January 30, 2026, identifying actions available and actions taken to effectuate this Order. This Order shall remain in effect until July 4, 2028. Furthermore, the Governor’s Office will seek to coordinate with the W ashington Attorney General ’s Office, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Commissioner of Public Lands, and the Washington State Legislature to advance the objectives of this Order. This Executive Order shall be implemented consistent with applicable la w. Provisions of this Order are not intended to alter any e xisting collective bargaining agreements. This Order is not intended to confer and does not confer any legal right or entitlement and shall not be used as a basis for legal challenges to any rule or any other action or inaction of the governme ntal entities and employees subject to it. This Order takes effect immediately. Signed and sealed with the official seal of the state of Washington on this 16th day of December, AD, Two Thousand and Twenty-Five, at Olympia, Washington. By: /s/ Bob Ferguson Governor BY THE GOVERNOR: /s/ Secretary of State