This page contains a variety of resources valuable to developers who are interested in the EFSEC process.
Resources
The links in this section are designed to aid developers as they consider the EFSEC process. They establish and define guidelines for various renewable energy and transmission project types.
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Least-Conflict Solar Siting on the Columbia Plateau (link, webpage), Washington State University Energy Program, June 2023
The project seeks to answer the question: Where can utility-scale solar be developed in the Columbia Plateau region while also ensuring that important natural habitat, productive farmlands and ranchlands, and tribal rights and cultural resources are protected?
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Guidelines for Utility-scale Solar and Onshore Wind Energy Development in Washington State (link, webpage), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), September 2025
WDFW developed these guidelines to assist developers of utility-scale solar and onshore wind energy projects in avoiding and minimizing impacts to Washington’s fish, wildlife, and habitat resources while planning, permitting, operating, and decommissioning their projects.
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements (PEIS)
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements (PEIS) are broad environmental reviews that assess and disclose the probable significant adverse environmental impacts that certain types of energy facilities may pose in Washington. A PEIS does not approve or deny a proposed project. Federal, state, and local agencies may—and in some cases, must—use the information in the PEIS, along with other publicly available information and site-specific details, to inform project-level environmental reviews and permitting.
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Transmission Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (link, webpage), Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC), October 2025.
This Programmatic EIS generally evaluates direct, indirect, and cumulative adverse environmental impacts associated with the building, operating, maintaining, upgrading, and modifying of high-voltage transmission facility developments.
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Final Programmatic Impact Statement for Green Hydrogen Production and Storage Facilities (link, webpage), Department of Ecology, June 2025.
This Programmatic EIS evaluates green hydrogen production facilities using electrolysis, steam-methane reforming, pyrolysis, or bio-gasification processes.
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Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Utility-Scale Onshore Wind Energy Facilities (link, webpage), Department of Ecology, June 2025.
This Programmatic EIS evaluates utility-scale onshore wind facilities, utility-scale onshore wind facilities with battery energy storage systems, and utility-scale onshore wind facilities that include agricultural uses.
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Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Utility-Scale Solar Energy Facilities (link, webpage), Department of Ecology, June 2025.
This Programmatic EIS evaluates utility-scale solar facilities, utility-scale solar facilities with battery energy storage systems, utility-scale solar facilities that include agricultural use.