Washington Policy On The Go is WPC’s bi-weekly (weekly during the legislative session) virtual lunchtime event series featuring center directors and guests to inform you on the latest in Washington State policy research and analysis. This episode features special guest Kurt Miller, Executive Director and CEO of the Northwest Public Power Association, and WPC Vice President for Research Todd Myers as they discuss energy policy and sustainability.
00:00 – Introduction
00:25 – Who is NWPPA? What “public power” means
01:12 – Size of public‑power footprint in WA vs OR
01:42 – How WA’s grid has changed in 30 years
02:26 – Wind boom: 10 GW built & new variability
03:29 – Electrification mandates and doubling demand
04:44 – Data‑center / AI load tsunami
05:29 – Near‑miss blackouts & WECC warning
06:19 – Are political mandates killing reliability?
09:01 – Hydro’s balancing role vs wind/solar gaps
11:02 – Battery limits during 5‑day heat/cold waves
12:57 – Rural utilities & rate‑shock worries
14:28 – 80% vs 100% decarbonization cost curve
18:19 – Practical fixes: replace like‑for‑like capacity
21:17 – Audience Q&A: Spain/Portugal outage & China costs
24:45 – Explaining “resource adequacy” and planning gaps
27:28 – How investor-owned utilities differ from public utilities
30:12 – California’s policy influence on Washington decisions
33:40 – Problems with Washington’s “clean energy” mandates
36:14 – Why capacity is being retired before replacements are ready
39:01 – Energy policy disconnect: planning vs. reality
42:05 – BPA’s future and federal hydro role
45:02 – Can the Northwest grid survive electrification + AI demand?
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