Associated Press
OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke on Friday named James Luce, a retired top official of the Bonneville Power Administration, as chairman of the state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council.
The panel, which includes representatives from five state agencies, oversees siting of natural gas and oil pipelines, electric power plants, new oil refineries or large expansions of existing facilities, and underground natural gas storage fields.
The council currently is considering proposals for a 1,300-megawatt Wallula power project, a 1,200-megawatt Starbuck power project, and the 660-megawatt Sumas Energy 2 generation facility. The combined generating capacity of all projects the council expects to have under review is more that 5,000 megawatts, Locke said.
Luce, 57, of Vancouver, retired in 1999 after a long career as a top legal counsel for BPA. Before that, he was a legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. Henry Jackson, a deputy Snohomish County prosecutor and an economic programs manager for Everett. He is a Washington State University graduate and has a law degree from the University of Oregon. His wife, Liz, is a former Clark County auditor and a longtime Democratic campaign activist.
Luce said he was delighted with the new assignment.
"Our state and region need new, environmentally clean resources, and we want to address the permitting process to ensure that this happens," he said.
The job pays $86,000 a year and will require state Senate confirmation. He takes over Monday, succeeding Deb Ross, who resigned in June.
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