SENATE BILL REPORT
ESHB 2522
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Environment, Energy & Water, March 1, 2002
Title: An act relating to the purchasing of clean technologies.
Brief Description: Encouraging the purchase of clean technologies.
Sponsors: House Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Sullivan, Romero, Lovick, Murray, Upthegrove, Miloscia, Chase, Rockefeller, Lantz, Simpson, Kagi, McIntire, Wood, Santos, Linville and Edwards).
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Environment, Energy & Water: 3/1/02 [DPA].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & WATER
Majority Report: Do pass as amended.
Signed by Senators Fraser, Chair; Regala, Vice Chair; Eide, Hale, Honeyford, Jacobsen, Keiser, McDonald and Morton.
Staff: Andrea McNamara (786‑7483)
Background: The Department of General Administration (GA) has the responsibility for establishing certain purchasing and material control policies for all state agencies, including educational institutions. Under current law, GA must maintain guidelines and criteria for the purchase of vehicles, alternative vehicle fuels and systems, equipment, and materials that reduce overall energy-related costs and energy use by the state. The guidelines require that all new passenger vehicles purchased must meet federal minimum standards for fuel economy.
GA is also responsible for purchasing vehicles for the state motor pool. Current law requires GA and other state agencies to explore opportunities to reduce the costs of purchasing alternative fuel vehicles by combining purchases with the federal government, state agencies and agencies of other states, local governments, or private organizations.
In 1991, the Legislature adopted procurement requirements for vehicles purchased through the state contract. At least 30 percent of all new vehicles purchased through the state contract must be clean-fuel vehicles, and the percentage of clean-fuel vehicles purchased must increase at the rate of 5 percent per year.
Summary of Amended Bill: The Department of General Administration (GA) must develop guidelines and criteria for the purchase of high gas mileage vehicles that include investigations into opportunities to aggregate the purchasing of clean technologies by state and local governments. GA is directed to increase purchasing of clean-fuel vehicles above minimum procurement levels by investigating opportunities to aggregate purchasing with local governments.
All state agencies must investigate and determine whether or not they can make clean technologies more cost‑effective by combining their purchasing power before completing a planned vehicle purchase. In cooperation with public agencies, GA is also directed to investigate opportunities to aggregate the purchase of clean technologies, but no public agency is required to purchase clean technologies at prohibitive costs. Clean technologies are defined to include, at a minimum, alternative fueled hybrid-electric and fuel cell vehicles, and distributive power generation. Distributive-power generation means wind, solar, or fuel-cell generating facilities that stand alone or are integrated to the power grid.
State agencies that are retail electric customers must investigate opportunities to aggregate the purchase of electricity generated by wind or solar energy to determine if combined purchasing can reduce the cost.
Utilities are authorized to pursue aggregation opportunities with other utilities when acquiring qualified alternative energy resources. They are also encouraged to investigate opportunities to aggregate their customers' purchases.
The 2002 biennial energy report must include information about the level of state procurement of clean fuel vehicles and the results of efforts to aggregate purchases of clean technologies.
Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill: The striking amendment adds two provisions from the Senate companion bill: authorizing and encouraging utilities to aggregate clean power purchases and requiring additional information in the 2002 biennial energy report related to state efforts to aggregate purchases of clean technologies.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: The state has great purchasing power and should use its leadership to promote clean technologies. Quantity purchasing is an effective way to help bring the costs down and promote the use of clean technologies, not just within state government but for all consumers who are interested in them.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: PRO: Representative Sullivan, prime sponsor; Donna Ewing, League of Women Voters.