BILL REQ. #:  H-2566.1 

Read first time 04/28/13.   Referred to Committee on Technology & Economic Development.

     AN ACT Relating to the voluntary purchase of eligible renewable resources by customers of electric utilities; 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) Upon request of an electric customer of an investor-owned utility, the commission shall create a tariff schedule that allows the customer to purchase voluntarily eligible renewable resources in five hundred kilowatt units. A tariff approved by the commission must ensure that:
     (a) The costs of procuring and delivering the eligible renewable resource is paid for by the requesting customer and not passed onto other customers of the investor-owned utility;
     (b) The investor-owned utility provides an integrated service that includes the electricity generated by the dedicated eligible renewable resource facility, and a supplemental shaping service, if needed;
     (c) The requesting customer has the authority to designate and approve the eligible renewable resource they wish to procure;
     (d) Nonpower attributes associated with the eligible renewable resource are transferred to the requesting customer bundled with the power; and
     (e) Except for the price, cost, or fees associated with interconnecting the eligible renewable resource to the grid, the price of procuring and delivering the eligible renewable resource is transparent and any additional costs or fees, including those required by federal energy regulatory commission rules, are specified before the requesting customer enters into an agreement for the eligible renewable resource.
     (2) The eligible renewable resources procured under this section are in addition to the eligible renewable resources requirements under RCW 19.285.040.
     (3) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (a) "Eligible renewable resource" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.285.030; and
     (b) "Nonpower attributes" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.285.030.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 19.29A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Upon request by an electric customer of a consumer-owned utility, the governing board of a consumer-owned utility shall create a tariff schedule or contract that allows the customer to purchase voluntarily eligible renewable resources in five hundred kilowatt units. A tariff approved by the governing board must ensure that:
     (a) The costs of procuring and delivering the eligible renewable resource is paid for by the requesting customer and not passed onto other customers of the consumer-owned utility;
     (b) The consumer-owned utility provides an integrated service that includes the electricity generated by the dedicated eligible renewable resource facility, and supplemental shaping services, if needed;
     (c) The requesting customer has the authority to designate and approve the eligible renewable resource procured;
     (d) Nonpower attributes associated with the eligible renewable resource are transferred to the requesting customer bundled with the power; and
     (e) Except for the price, cost, or fees associated with interconnecting the eligible renewable resource to the grid, the price of procuring and delivering the eligible renewable resource is transparent and any additional costs or fees, including those required by federal energy regulatory commission rules, are specified before the requesting customer enters into an agreement for the eligible renewable resource.
     (2) The eligible renewable resources procured under this section are in addition to the eligible renewable resources requirements under RCW 19.285.040.
     (3) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (a) "Eligible renewable resource" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.285.030; and
     (b) "Nonpower attributes" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.285.030.