Powering Affordability: Tackling Washington’s Rising Electricity Costs

​Quick update to everyone: we are meeting in Founders Hall Room 370

​Electricity affordability has become one of the defining energy challenges facing the United States — and Washington is no exception. Across the country, electricity prices are rising as utilities grapple with aging infrastructure, transmission congestion, wildfire mitigation, surging demand from data centers and electrification, and mounting pressure to modernize the grid. At the same time, debates around what is actually driving higher electricity costs have become increasingly politicized and oversimplified.

​The reality is more complex. While clean energy is often blamed for rising rates, data increasingly shows that the biggest cost drivers stem from long-standing failures in transmission planning, delayed infrastructure deployment, inefficient interconnection processes, volatile fuel prices, and the growing impacts of extreme weather, all of which are exacerbated by rapidly increasing demand for power. Even as utilities have dramatically increased spending on grid infrastructure over the past two decades, the U.S. transmission system remains fragmented, congested, and poorly coordinated — limiting access to low-cost power and driving up costs for consumers.

​Washington sits at the center of this challenge. As electricity demand grows and the state pursues ambitious decarbonization goals, policymakers face urgent questions about how to expand and modernize the grid while keeping power affordable and reliable for households and businesses alike. This panel will bring together experts to unpack the real drivers behind rising electricity costs and explore the policy solutions needed to address them. The conversation will also examine how Washington can balance reliability, affordability, and decarbonization in an era of rapidly evolving energy demand.

​Panelists:

​· Moderator: Katie Brigham, Staff Writer, Heatmap News

​· Alex Ybarra, Washington State Representative (13th Legislative District)

​· Carsten Croff, Financial Planning Unit Manager, Seattle City Light

​· Wilson Ricks, Manager, Electricity, Clean Air Task Force

​· Kyle Unruh, Director, Montana & Idaho, Renewable Northwest

​Note: Space is limited. If turnout is high, we may need to turn people away at the door. Please cancel your registration if you can’t attend, and plan to arrive early to help ensure entry.