Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
Technology, Telecommunications & Energy Committee

E2SSB 6718

Brief Description:  Making state government a leader in clean energy consumption.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Fraser, Finkbeiner, Regala, Keiser, Jacobsen, Poulsen and Franklin).

Brief Summary of Engrossed Second Substitute Bill

$Directs the Department of General Administration to encourage certain state agencies to achieve the goal of a 10 percent increase in the use of clean energy resources, a reduction in overall energy use, or a combination of both by June 30, 2011.

Hearing Date:  2/26/02

Staff:  Pam Madson (786‑7166).

Background:

In 1991 the State Energy Office, predecessor to the Energy Policy Division of the Office of Trade and Economic Development, was directed to develop a state energy strategy along with an advisory committee of 20 members representing industry, government, and environmental interests.  The committee issued its report in 1993, including recommendations on energy use in transportation, buildings, agriculture and industry.  Recommendations also addressed overall energy use and protecting the environment.  The state's energy strategy serves as guidance for implementing the state's energy policy.

The Office of Trade and Economic Development (OTED), and previously the State Energy Office, reports biennially on the status of implementing the state's energy strategy.  The 2001 biennial report acknowledged the growing consensus within the scientific community that global average temperatures are increasing and that these increases are linked to the increasing concentration in the earth's atmosphere of certain gases resulting from human activities, principally the production and consumption of fossil fuels.  The report discussed the potential impacts on the climate of the Pacific Northwest resulting from these changes.

Other duties of the OTED include developing energy policy commendations for the Governor and the Legislature.

The Department of General Administration (GA) acts as the business agent for state government.  As the business agent, the GA is the main buyer of supplies, equipment, and services for state government. The GA is also the state's landlord and plans, constructs, and remodels state buildings on the Capitol Campus and in communities throughout the state.  The GA provides state agencies with vehicles and provides criteria for purchase of vehicles that reduce overall energy related costs.  The GA assists state agencies and school districts in identifying and implementing cost-effective conservation improvements in public buildings to minimize energy consumption and related environmental impacts and to reduce operating costs.

Summary of Bill:

The Department of General Administration is directed to encourage state agencies to use clean energy resources and each agency is encouraged to increase its energy consumption from clean energy resources or reduce its overall energy consumption by at least two percent a biennium with the goal of reaching 10 percent by June 30, 2011.  For purposes of this provision, state agencies are those executive branch agencies managed by Governor‑appointed executives and state institutions of higher education.  Clean energy resources are those that produce electricity and use the following fuel sources:  wind, solar energy, geothermal energy, landfill gas, wave or tidal action, fuel cells, gas from wastewater treatment, qualified hydro and certain biomass energy.

The Office of Trade and Economic Development (OTED), when developing recommendations for the Governor and the Legislature, may include strategies and options to encourage state agencies to rely on clean energy resources.

The biennial report, due from the OTED on implementation of the state energy strategy in December 2002, must contain information on the estimated contribution to global climate change from state government's current and projected energy consumption.  It must also include specific strategies to reduce or offset the state's contribution to global climate change and a status report on efforts to achieve the goal of a 10 percent combined increase in the use of clean energy resources or a reduction in energy consumption by 2011.  In identifying strategies to reduce the state's contribution to global climate change, the OTED may include strategies that use cost‑effective conservation and efficiency, increase generation of electricity for the state's own use or increase the purchase of electricity generated from clean energy resources, and address transportation‑related energy use.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 20, 2002.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.