More than two dozen bills relating to energy and utilities advanced this legislative session, including bills affecting electric vehicle incentives, net metering, distributed energy, clean energy standards, and utility billing practices.
It was a cliffhanger right to the end for a number of these bills, as legislators wrangled over the policy impacts on each subject. Ultimately, not one of the bills made it through the legislative process, which was a surprise to many.
AWC’s next steps
These issues are important topics to various interest groups, and we anticipate seeing many of these same subjects again next legislative session. It is also worth noting that there may be a carbon tax initiative on the November ballot that, depending on how it is drafted, may affect electric or gas utilities. Stay tuned to Legislative Bulletin throughout the interim and we will keep you posted as energy news arises.
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Bill #
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Short description
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Final status
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HB 1233
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Enabling electric utilities to prepare for the distributed energy future
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Did not pass
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HB 2510
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Concerning net metering
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Did not pass
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HB 2814
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Studying state policies and programs that impact the affordability of retail electric bills in Washington state
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Did not pass
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HB 2897
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Concerning electric utility plans for distributed energy resources and transportation electrification
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Did not pass
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HB 2931
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Increasing energy efficiency
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Did not pass
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HB 2995
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Concerning Washington's clean, affordable, and reliable energy future
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Did not pass
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SB 5624
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Concerning transparency in retail electrical customer billing
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Did not pass
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SB 6081
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Concerning distributed generation
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Did not pass
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SB 6187
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Concerning the electrification of transportation
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Did not pass
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SB 6203
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Reducing carbon pollution by moving to a clean energy economy
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Did not pass
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