HB 1084, sponsored by Rep. Alex Ramel (D–Bellingham), received a public hearing in the House Appropriations Committee last week. The bill aims to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by achieving greater decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings and limiting the expansion of municipally owned natural gas facilities.

One of the bill’s several provisions authorizes the governing body of a city-owned electric utility to adopt a “beneficial electrification plan” that identifies options and program schedules for the electrification of various energy end-uses or other energy sources.

Although the bill incentivizes decarbonization investments, it also prohibits a natural gas utility (including municipally owned natural gas utilities) from offering new services to any customer outside the area authorized as of July 1, 2021.

The bill allows electric utilities to offer incentives and other programs to accelerate the electrification of homes and buildings for its customers (including promoting electrically powered equipment, beneficial electrification programs and projects, educational programs, and other customer incentives or rebates).

Further, the bill allows local governments to adopt a reach code option under the State Energy Code for residential buildings. The reach code option—an optional energy construction standard approved by the State Building Council—would provide increasingly low-emission, energy efficient homes standards that local jurisdictions may adopt for residential construction.

HB 1084 has received significant amendments since it was originally proposed. After public hearing last week, it no longer requires municipally owned and operated gas utilities to develop transition implementation plans and integrated resource plan requirements.

AWC encourages cities to submit comments and concerns regarding this bill to Carl Schroeder or Maggie Douglas.