The West's power grid could be stitched together -- if red and blue states buy in
For years, Western leaders have debated the creation of a regional energy market: a coordinated grid to pool solar power in Arizona, wind in Wyoming, hydro in Washington and battery storage in California.
The shared resources would meet the demands of 11 different states, bolstering utilities local power plants with surplus energy from across the region.
With the passage of a landmark new law in California, that market is finally on its way to becoming a reality. Proponents say it has the potential to lower energy costs, make the grid more resilient and speed up the deployment of clean energy.
But the markets success, experts agree, depends heavily on which states and utilities decide to opt in. As energy issues have become increasingly politicized, its uncertain whether Western leaders can buy into a common vision for meeting the regions power needs.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/10/13/repub/the-wests-power-grid-could-be-stitched-together-if-red-and-blue-states-buy-in/