BILL REQ. #:  H-4190.2 

READ FIRST TIME 01/18/06.   

     AN ACT Relating to new renewable energy standards; and adding new sections to chapter 19.29A RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 19.29A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The following new renewable energy standards for state agencies are established:
     (a) By July 1, 2006, state agencies must buy at least five percent of their total electricity from qualified alternative energy resources.
     (b) By July 1, 2007, state agencies must buy at least ten percent of their total electricity from qualified alternative energy resources.
     (c) By July 1, 2008, state agencies must buy at least fifteen percent of their total electricity from qualified alternative energy resources.
     (d) By July 1, 2009, state agencies must buy at least twenty percent of their total electricity from qualified alternative energy resources.
     (2) A utility may buy qualified alternative energy resources through either: (a) Resources it owns in the state of Washington or resources the utility contracts for, if the resources contracted for are generated within the state of Washington; or (b) the purchase of credits under RCW 19.29A.090(2)(b), provided that the second party has a qualified alternative energy resource generated within the state of Washington.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, a "qualified alternative energy resource" means the electricity produced from generation facilities that are fueled by: (a) Wind; (b) solar energy; (c) geothermal energy; (d) biogas produced during treatment of human or animal waste or evolved from landfills; (e) wave or tidal action; (f) gas produced during the treatment of wastewater; (g) qualified hydropower; (h) combined heat and power or cogeneration as defined in RCW 35.97.010; or (i) biomass energy based on animal waste or solid organic fuels from wood, forest, or field residues, or dedicated energy crops that do not include wood pieces that have been treated with chemical preservatives such as creosote, pentachlorophenol, or copper-chrome-arsenic.
     (4) For the purposes of this section, "qualified hydropower" means the additional energy produced by: (a) Marginal increases in production due to modernizations or upgrades that were made after June 1, 1998, to existing hydropower facilities that result in greater turbine efficiency and are not responsible for obstructing the passage of anadromous fish; or (b) new hydropower facilities that operate with a head of twenty meters or less that are not responsible for obstructing the passage of anadromous fish.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 19.29A RCW to read as follows:
     If another state law exceeds the renewable energy standards contained in section 1 of this act, this act will become void in its entirety.