FINAL BILL REPORT
ESSB
6554
C 32 L 96
Synopsis as Enacted
Brief Description: Providing for attachments to transmission facilities.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Energy, Telecommunications & Utilities (originally sponsored by Senator Sutherland).
Senate Committee on Energy, Telecommunications & Utilities
House Committee on Energy & Utilities
Background: A range of utilities own various facilities that allow them to connect over points and form a utility system. These utilities most commonly include those that provide electricity and telephone service, but also include those providing natural gas, water, and other services. The facilities used to make up a system include, but are not limited to, poles, ducts, and conduits used in a right of way.
Cable television companies and new entities providing telecommunications service view access to these facilities as essential to building and expanding their networks. These entities have an opportunity to protest to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission any access policies of investor-owned utilities. Concern has been raised that some consumer-owned utilities, such as those owned by cities, public utility districts, cooperatives, and similar entities may not have standard procedures that assure non-discriminatory pricing and access to utility facilities.
Summary: Electric utilities not regulated by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC), including electric cooperatives, mutual corporations, cities, code cities, and public utility districts, are required to provide rates, terms and conditions pertaining to attachments to the utility's poles in a just, reasonable, nondiscriminatory and sufficient manner. Rates are required to be uniform for the same class of service throughout the utility's service territory. The WUTC is specifically prohibited from regulating these activities of these utilities.
Votes on Final Passage:
Senate 48 0
House 97 0
Effective: June 6, 1996