The following agencies are not regular members of the Council, but can elect to appoint a Council representative for the siting of new projects:

• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Health
• Department of Transportation
• Military Department

When an application to site a facility is submitted to the Council, it is augmented by representatives from particular cities, counties, or port districts potentially affected by the project. 

The Council was created in 1970 to provide "one stop" licensing for large energy projects. By establishing the Council, the State Legislature centralized the evaluation and oversight of large energy facilities in a single location within state government. The Legislature called for "balancing" demand for new energy facilities with the broad interests of the public. As part of the balancing process, protection of environmental quality, safety of energy facilities, and concern for energy availability are all to be taken into account by the Council. 

The Council's responsibilities derive from the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 80.50, and include siting large natural gas and oil pipelines, thermal electric power plants that are 350 megawatts or greater and their dedicated transmission lines, new oil refineries or large expansions of existing facilities, and underground natural gas storage fields.  Energy facilities of any size that exclusively use alternative energy resources (wind, solar, geothermal, landfill gas, wave or tidal action, or biomass energy) can opt-in to the EFSEC review and certification process as with certain electrical transmission lines.

EFSEC's authority does not extend to hydro based power plants or  thermal electric plants that are less than 350 megawatts.

EFSEC has been delegated authority by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to issue permits under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Federal Clean Air Act for facilities under its jurisdiction. EFSEC also ensures that effective and coordinated nuclear emergency response plans are in place and satisfactorily tested for the Columbia Generating Station nuclear power plant located on the Hanford Site in central Washington.

EFSEC staff are part of  the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development.   Staff contact information.  EFSEC general contact information is given below.  For directions to the EFSEC office see the map.