As energy demand continues to grow, state officials are hoping those interested in building and operating large-scale carbon-free power sources will take advantage of some legwork done ahead of time.

The state Department of Ecology recently released environmental studies on the siting of onshore wind and solar energy facilities as well as green hydrogen production that may be colocated with battery energy storage plants, according to a release.

The studies are not intended to override or circumvent local planning and oversight, Ecology officials said. Rather, they are meant to be a starting point for developers, planners, tribes and community leaders to identify challenges and impacts so they can be addressed.

“Washington already has one of the cleanest energy grids in the nation,” said Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller in a statement. “But we need to continue expanding that clean energy capacity to meet future needs and reduce carbon pollution. These new environmental reviews will help us do that, while also working to respect tribal rights, protect the environment, and honor community input and interests.”

Washington state law requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 95% by 2050. That has led the state to focus on supporting green energy projects via financial incentives as well as streamlined project reviews and state permitting.

The Mid-Columbia has found itself at the center of green energy projects connected to all three environmental studies. Existing and proposed solar energy projects are scattered across the region, including a solar project on up to 8,000 acres at the Hanford site, the Wautoma Solar Project on 5,800 acres in northwest Benton County, a proposed 80-acre facility outside Connell and another recently installed at Pendleton’s wastewater treatment facility.

Switzerland-based Atlas Agro plans to use hydrogen to power its proposed $1.5 billion Pacific Green Fertilizer Plant north of Richland. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy selected the Pacific Northwest to receive as much as $1 billion in funding as one of the seven regional hubs to kickstart clean hydrogen production. PNNL researchers are among those advising the hub’s development.

But green energy projects have also faced legal challenges in the region, most notably the Horse Heaven Hills Energy Complex planned by Boulder, Colorado-based Scout Energy. Though formally approved by Gov. Jay Inslee and the state agency responsible for evaluating energy facility sites, a local nonprofit, the Benton County commissioners and Yakama Nation have all sued the state over the proposed wind farm. A Thurston Superior Court judge recently certified those lawsuits to be considered by the Washington Supreme Court.