Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, has filed legislation encouraging federal lawmakers to protect the four lower Snake River dams from removal. Senate Joint Memorial 8010 formally requests approval of the Northwest Energy Security Act, introduced late last month by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA… Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, came into the 2025 legislative session to find common ground with the Senate majority – and it’s working. Two full weeks into this year’s session, 14 of the 17 bills filed by Boehnke, the ranking Republican on the...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA…Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, the new Republican leader on the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee, has introduced a bill ahead of the 2025 legislative session that aims to separate Washington from California’s vehicle-emission standards. Senate Bill 5091 would direct the state Department...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick/Credit: Washington State Senate OLYMPIA … Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, has been elevated to Ranking Member on the Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee (ENET) for the 2025 legislative session. He will continue on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and is joining the Senate Higher Education...

Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick OLYMPIA… The state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) held a special meeting on September 13 to approve the revised site certification agreement for the controversial Horse Heaven Wind Project. Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, believes the EFSEC’s process to approve the revised site certification agreement (SCA)...

On August 13, I had the honor of joining fellow federal and state lawmakers and representatives from the Department of Energy, Ecology, and Commerce for a ribbon-cutting ceremony of the $75 million Grid Storage Launchpad at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) north Richland campus. This momentous occasion marks a significant...

A few days ago, I returned from a trip to Chicago to Co Chair the National Conference of State Legislatures, Nuclear Legislative Work Group spring meeting on July 8-9. The purpose of these meetings is to provide legislative members with the opportunity to learn about nuclear energy and related policy...

I am pleased to share that Visit Tri-Cities has announced the Department of Energy (DOE) will be extending reservations for The Manhattan Project B-Reactor Tours through the end of October 2024. This extension grants visitors more time to explore this significant historical and scientific landmark. The B-Reactor is a significant...

OLYMPIA… In a press release dated May 23, Governor Inslee made a significant decision. He rejected a recommendation from the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council to require the Horse Heaven Wind Farm to mitigate the proposed power plant’s impacts on the endangered ferruginous hawk. This decision, according to Senator Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick,...

A pair of bills that will make energy more expensive in Washington were signed into law. House Bill 1589 allows Puget Sound Energy to end natural gas services for its customers. While this will directly affect our neighbors to the west, it represents a concerning trend toward eliminating an important...