The Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council staff updated the council on the transmission programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) assigned by Washington State Senate Bill 5165 (2023).

Sean Green, FSEC SEPA specialist, said the draft PEIS covers non‑project review of electrical transmission facilities with nominal voltage of 230 kilovolts or greater. The draft PEIS scoping memo issued June 28, 2024, and the draft PEIS was distributed for public comment March 30, 2025. "We published the EIS scoping memo on June 28 of 2024 and produced a draft EIS based on input from members of the public, staff from other state agencies, tribes, and subject matter experts," Green said. The public comment period was scheduled to end April 30, 2025, and FSEC held a public informational meeting April 8 and two comment hearings April 22 and April 24.

Green said staff will assess substantive comments, respond to them, and refine the draft before publishing a final PEIS; staff currently anticipate publishing the final document on June 30, 2025. Chair Kurt Beckett asked staff to ensure packet milestone dates capture public meetings and added that staff should avoid using Teams chat as an official comments channel.

Why it matters: A programmatic EIS for 230 kV+ transmission corridors will provide statewide guidance and environmental analysis for future transmission siting and could affect multiple projects and agency reviews across Washington.