H-0382.1
HOUSE BILL 1249
State of Washington | 69th Legislature | 2025 Regular Session |
ByRepresentatives Barnard, Stearns, Couture, Rude, and Keaton
Prefiled 01/10/25.Read first time 01/13/25.Referred to Committee on Environment & Energy.
AN ACT Relating to creating the commercial liftoff for energy from advanced nuclear advisory commission; and adding a new chapter to Title
80 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that nuclear energy is a safe and reliable source of nonemitting energy and that all electricity provided to Washington retail electric customers must be from nonemitting or renewable resources by January 1, 2045. The legislature finds that decarbonization policies and artificial intelligence applications have accelerated demand on Washington's electricity grid. Nuclear energy provides significant value to a decarbonized grid; it is a clean firm complement to renewable resources, has low land-use requirements while producing energy at scale, and offers high-paying jobs and regional economic benefits. Therefore, the legislature finds that nuclear energy will play an essential role in the energy transition.
It is the intent of the legislature that a new nuclear energy advisory commission shall provide a credible resource on nuclear energy to the people of the state of Washington and support the growth of the nuclear energy industry. The commercial liftoff for energy from advanced nuclear advisory commission aims to establish a common fact base with the private sector around the path to liftoff for critical clean firm energy technologies.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. There is hereby created the commercial liftoff for energy from advanced nuclear advisory commission. The purpose of the commercial liftoff for energy from advanced nuclear advisory commission is to catalyze more rapid and coordinated action across the value chain for nuclear energy deployment. The commercial liftoff for energy from advanced nuclear advisory commission is composed of 13 voting members with expertise in nuclear energy. Members must be nominated and appointed by the leadership of the entities that they represent as follows:
(1) Two members from Washington State University with at least one member from the institute for northwest energy futures;
(2) One member from the University of Washington;
(3) One member invited from the Pacific Northwest national laboratory;
(4) One member invited from the United States department of energy;
(5) One member representing a joint operating agency as described in chapter
43.52 RCW and formed in 1957;
(6) One member from the state radiation control agency as defined in RCW
70A.388.040;
(7) One member invited from a federally recognized tribe and nominated and appointed by the governor's office of Indian affairs;
(8) One member from the Washington vertical innovation cluster;
(9) One member from the state energy office in the department of commerce;
(10) One member from the governor's office;
(11) One member from the association of Washington business; and
(12) One member from the Washington state labor council.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The commercial liftoff for energy from advanced nuclear advisory commission may:
(1) Establish offices that are necessary to carry out the purpose of the commission as described in section 2 of this act, including prescribing the functions and duties of such offices and developing policies and procedures;
(2) Appoint or provide for the appointment of, and remove or provide for the removal of, employees of the commission;
(3) Fix the salaries, wages, and other compensation of employees of the commission;
(4) Fix the time and place or places at which regular or special meetings are to be held. Each member of the commission is eligible to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW
43.03.050 and
43.03.060; and
(5) Solicit and receive gifts, grants, and endowments from public or private sources that are made for the use or benefit of the commission and to expend the same or any income therefrom according to the purpose of the commission.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The duties of the commercial liftoff for energy from advanced nuclear advisory commission are as follows:
(1) Meet at least five times a year in accordance with chapter
42.30 RCW to consider existing and model policies and plans to support the deployment of additional nuclear energy in the state. Considerations must include workforce needs;
(2) Develop recommendations on what is needed to site and build additional nuclear facilities in the state, including a detailed roadmap with timelines and targets;
(3) Submit recommendations to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by October 1st every even-numbered year;
(4) Review the United States department of energy pathways to commercial liftoff: Advanced nuclear report as of September 2024 for consideration in recommendations submitted according to subsection (3) of this section for the commission's first recommendation report due on October 1, 2026.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Sections 1 through 4 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 80 RCW. --- END ---