BILL REQ. #:  H-3217.1 

Prefiled 01/09/14. Read first time 01/13/14.   Referred to Committee on Technology & Economic Development.

     AN ACT Relating to maintaining a robust, clean, and job rich energy policy in the state of Washington that builds upon the goals created by the energy independence act; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   It is the intent of the legislature to establish and support an inclusive legislative-driven process to create policy after 2020 when the current goals of chapter 19.285 RCW, the energy independence act, end. The legislature recognizes that under the best of circumstances, it can take five years to plan and procure energy resources for the electric grid and under the worst circumstances much longer. In a recent report on electric utility integrated resource planning, as required in chapter 19.280 RCW, the department of commerce noted that there is a lack of specifically identified electric generating resources after 2020. While the goals of the renewable portfolio standard created in the energy independence act are many, the prime outcomes of the energy independence act are nurturing the build out of renewable energy resources, being as efficient with current energy resources as possible, and creating economic opportunity.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) By December 31, 2014, the joint committee on energy supply and energy conservation created in RCW 44.39.010 shall make recommendations to the energy committees of the legislature on policies that would establish new renewable energy and energy efficiency goals for utilities. The joint committee must consider how its recommendations will achieve the following objectives:
     (a) Encourage renewable energy resources;
     (b) Promote the greatest efficiency in using existing resources, especially compared with states that Washington competes with economically;
     (c) Enable technologies that make existing practices and processes more efficient;
     (d) Reduce the overall amount of pollution generated in the production and consumption of energy;
     (e) Reduce the amount of wealth Washington exports to neighboring jurisdictions for energy procurement;
     (f) Keep rates as low as practical in a policy environment where there are often competing goals;
     (g) Create regulatory certainty in advance of typical energy planning and procurement cycles; and
     (h) Maximize the creation of jobs in Washington.
     (2) The joint committee on energy supply and energy conservation may also identify and recommend policies that eliminate barriers to achieving goals identified in their recommendations, including, but not limited to, permitting timelines, financing, and technology availability.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   In order to facilitate the development of the recommendations in section 2 of this act, the joint committee on energy supply and energy conservation shall hold a minimum of four meetings:
     (1) The first meeting must provide an opportunity for the public to present to the joint committee on what goals the joint committee should consider when making its recommendation to the legislature to meet the goals in section 1 of this act;
     (2) A second meeting to summarize and report on areas of consensus and division among stakeholders. The joint committee shall direct staff on the next steps needed in order to work through areas of division towards consensus draft recommendations;
     (3) A third meeting to take public testimony on a draft set of recommendations. The joint committee shall deliberate and direct staff to prepare final recommendations; and
     (4) The fourth meeting to vote on final recommendations to the 2015 legislature for new energy performance standards after 2020.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   It is widely acknowledged that as a state and country, nearly two-thirds of the energy consumed through various processes is lost as waste heat. To assist the joint committee on energy supply and energy conservation deliberations in developing new energy performance standards after 2020, the legislature directs the Washington State University energy program to conduct a resource assessment on the amount of new energy resources that could be made available with a high efficiency cogeneration policy or a thermal heating efficiency policy.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   Sections 1 through 4 of this act expire January 1, 2015.