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SUBJECTS › PLANNING › Energy Resources › Planning for Energy Facilities
Updated 07/08

Planning for Energy Facilities

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Why Plan for Energy Facilities?

  • In Washington, the Energy Facilities Siting Evaluation Council must hold a land use hearing to ascertain if a proposed major energy facility project is consistent with local land use regulations.
  • Planning provides "a local process by which citizens might actively participate in the siting of energy facilities," Kittitas County Ordinance 2001-12
  • For communities planning under the Growth Management Act, a utility element is mandatory under 36.70A.070 and recommendations for creating the utilities element appear at WAC 365-195-320.
  • Excerpt from "Benefits of Energy - Aware Facilities Planning" section of Ch. 3, Planning for Energy Facility Development, in Energy Aware Planning Guide: II Energy Facilities (Adobe Acrobat Document 3.2 MB), California Energy Commission.
    • Improves local permitting processes and their relationship to key community issues
    • Helps influence permit decisions made by non-local agencies and utilities by demonstrating strong local preferences
    • Provides advance guidance to energy facility developers on desirable and undesirable project types and locations
    • Avoids or minimizes land use conflicts between energy facilities and what can be incompatible uses such as residences, schools, and parks
    • Avoids or minimizes conflicts with environmental and economic resources such as wildlife habitat and scenic qualities that support tourism and recreation
    • Creates jobs from local energy resource and facility development
    • Increases public familiarity with energy facilities and their critical role in community livability and economic competitiveness
    • Builds a relationship among stakeholders, including developers, utilities, government agencies, and local interest groups, that can facilitate future siting and permitting of energy facilities

Land Use Policies with Utilities Elements including Energy Facilities Siting Policies

See Also Local Government  Energy Resource Policies and Renewable Energy Programs

Zoning Provisions Related to Energy Facilities

Most utility siting in Washington is regulated through special use or conditional use provisions. Whatcom and Kittitas counties have specific zoning regulations for utilities.

Examples from Other States

Planning Considerations for Major Power Facilities

  • Ch 463-60 WAC - Applications for Site Certification, provides guidelines for determining the impact of the development on the natural and built environment and mitigation measures.
  • Section 463-60-297 WAC requires the application to list all applicable federal, state and local codes, ordinances, statutes, rules, regulations and permits that would apply to the project if it were not under council jurisdiction.
  • Critical Permitting Issues, Chapter 5 in Energy Aware Planning Guide: II Energy Facilities (Adobe Acrobat Document 3.2 MB),  California Energy Commission. See 5.1 Air Quality, 5.2 Biological Resources, 5.3 Hazardous Materials, 5.4 Water use and Quality, 5.5 Visual Impacts, 5.6 Public Concerns about Electric and Magnetic Fields, 5.7 Energy Facility Closure/Abandonment.
  • Sierra Club Conservation Policies: Energy Facilities Siting

General Resources

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