Resource Adequacy Stakeholder Meetings.
The Department of Commerce and the Utilities and Transportation Commission are required to jointly convene a stakeholder meeting at least annually through 2024 to discuss the adequacy of the state's energy resources for meeting electric needs.  The meeting must also address steps utilities can take to coordinate planning in light of changes to the Northwest power system.  The meeting must include representatives of investor-owned utilities, consumer-owned utilities, regional planning organizations, transmission operators, and other stakeholders.

Widespread Power Outage Events.
When demand for electricity exceeds available supply, a widespread electrical power outage event may occur, which is often referred to as a blackout.  During an event of this nature, utilities may temporarily shut off power to parts of the electric grid on a rolling basis, which is often referred to as a rolling blackout.

The list of stakeholders that must be included in the resource adequacy stakeholder meetings is expanded to include energy analytics experts at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

In 2023 the resource adequacy stakeholder meeting must address strategies to ensure power supply adequacy to avoid the risk of rolling blackouts.  The 2023 meeting must also discuss the extent to which proposed laws and regulations may require new state policy for resource adequacy.  The stakeholder meeting should also seek to identify regulatory and statutory incentives to enhance and ensure resource adequacy and reliability.

If regional energy analytics capability is established at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) must invite the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to the meeting to provide relevant analytics to inform the discussion.

Commerce and the UTC must jointly convene annual resource adequacy stakeholder meetings through calendar year 2030, instead of through calendar year 2024.