BILL REQ. #:  S-3897.1 

Read first time 01/18/12.   Referred to Committee on Energy, Natural Resources & Marine Waters.

     AN ACT Relating to studying densified biomass as a renewable energy source; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that much of western Europe, China, Japan, and other Asian countries have chosen to use renewable densified biomass as a renewable energy fuel to heat homes, businesses, and other facilities in lieu of petroleum-based heating systems. The legislature further finds that clean-burning, renewable densified biomass will: (1) Lead our country into energy independence; (2) create jobs; (3) stimulate our economy by keeping more of our money circulating in the United States; (4) reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels; and (5) improve air quality in noncompliant air sheds. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to have the Washington State University extension energy program study and report on the use of densified biomass as a renewable energy source to heat homes, businesses, and other facilities.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   By December 1, 2013, and within existing resources, the Washington State University extension energy program shall report its findings and recommendations to the governor and legislature consistent with RCW 43.01.036 on the use of densified biomass as a renewable energy source in lieu of using electricity, natural gas, and petroleum-based fuels to heat homes, businesses, and other facilities. The Washington State University extension energy program shall consult with the densified biomass industry to prepare its report. The report must provide the best possible projections of the following:
     (1) The amount of materials that are available and may be produced to create densified biomass fuel in Washington state;
     (2) The potential of exporting renewable densified biomass fuel as a fuel source;
     (3) The jobs that are likely to be created in Washington state from manufacturing renewable densified biomass fuel and densified biomass heating equipment;
     (4) The efficiency of using renewable densified biomass fuel to provide space heating as compared to other traditional forms of space heating, including but not limited to natural gas, propane, heating oil, and electricity, including a heat pump;
     (5) The reduction in oil imports into Washington state if renewable densified biomass is used to heat homes, businesses, and other facilities;
     (6) The amount of imported oil that may be reduced by using renewable densified biomass fuel in lieu of petroleum-based fuels, such as propane, for heating and electricity that is generated and used for heating homes, businesses, and other facilities;
     (7) How to accomplish the distribution of bulk renewable densified biomass to homes, businesses, and other facilities using renewable densified biomass-fueled heating equipment;
     (8) The price stability of renewable densified biomass fuel as compared to oil, electricity, propane, and natural gas;
     (9) The likely environmental impacts of heating homes, businesses, and other facilities with renewable densified biomass as compared to petroleum-based fuels used to generate heat, natural gas, and electricity. In considering electricity used to produce heat, the Washington State University extension energy program shall include in its calculations emissions from the electricity generating systems, electricity loss in the transmission of electricity to the average end user, and the heating efficiency of the electronically powered heating system. Environmental impacts must include, but not be limited to, comparable carbon dioxide emissions and toxic air emissions from the use of renewable densified biomass as compared to the use of fossil fuels; and
     (10) Other considerations deemed appropriate by the Washington State University extension energy program that should be considered in using renewable densified biomass as a recognized renewable energy source for heating homes, businesses, and other facilities in Washington state.
     This section expires January 1, 2013.