Senator Patty Murray says electricity bills in Washington state will go up because of the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which cut federal spending on renewable energy projects.
So is it true? And if so, why?
Joe Nguyen, Washington State Commerce director, stood in the middle of the Denny Substation, in Seattle’s South Lake Union Neighborhood. Beyond the electric substation walls, skyscrapers tower overhead. None of those towers were there 20 years ago.
“So this substation was built with this growth in mind,” he said, gesturing around him. “That’s how long they plan. So if you plan for 10, 20, 30, 40 years, and then all of a sudden the federal government doesn’t come through with their end of the bargain, it puts all of that stuff at risk.”
Utilities have to spend money. Transmission lines and equipment are constantly aging, and need repair. AI data centers are siphoning off more of the region’s excess power, leaving less room for error.
Washington state cities are experiencing more hot spells, during which local capacity is maxed out, and utilities must purchase power at much higher rates on the open market.
Now, the statistical likelihood is growing that both Washington and California could experience hot spells at the same time. In that case, Washingtonians could experience brownouts or blackouts, Nguyen said, as there wouldn’t be enough power on the market to serve everyone.
Seattle City Light CEO Dawn Lindell said Washington state must add capacity; but without federal investment, development costs will have to be passed on to consumers.
“We’ve had grant funding cut at the federal level,” Lindell said. “We’ve had tax credits cut at the federal level … And those [grants and tax credits] offset the price to build. So it is a direct impact on the cost of that energy.”
Now, Lindell said new energy projects will cost much more. Tariffs and supply chain problems have guaranteed that.
“People can expect to see significant rate increases for probably the next 10 to 12 years,” she said.
The same is true across many cities in Washington state.
The U.S. Department of Energy did not respond to a request for comment.
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