The Western Transmission Expansion Coalition’s 10-year outlook has spurred talks about increased coordination between jurisdictions to upgrade or build 12,600 miles of transmission in the West and fueled calls for states to create a task force to streamline permitting and other issues.

The Washington Senate passed a bill to establish a transmission authority intended to help the state improve system capacity and meet growing demand by reducing the timeline to complete new transmission projects.

The West must build or upgrade 12,600 miles of transmission at a cost of about $60 billion to meet the region’s forecast 30% increase in peak demand and other needs by 2035, according to the Western Transmission Expansion Coalition's 10-year outlook.

With 16 binding participants and 58 GW worth of load committed, the Western Power Pool’s Western Resource Adequacy Program aims to build on the momentum in 2026 and prepare for more members.

The Western Transmission Expansion Coalition plans to publish its 10-year outlook for Western transmission needs in February 2026 and has begun outlining the 20-year plan, according to Energy Strategies, which is developing the report.

The Oregon Department of Energy’s new draft energy strategy points to the importance of new transmission development and expanding electricity markets for meeting the state's energy goals.

Out-of-state wind integration, merchant transmission development and the WestTEC planning effort are all factors influencing CAISO’s interregional transmission planning.

The Bonneville Power Administration faces monumental challenges in implementing actions to meet the Pacific Northwest’s needs once it lifts its pause on transmission planning.

The Western Transmission Expansion Coalition is on track to publish the first phase of its transmission planning study this summer despite some delays in finalizing the models that will underpin the study.

NERC’s 2025 budget is set to rise 8.2% over the previous year to $123 million.