NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the enactment of the Washington clean energy transformation act, chapter 288, Laws of 2019, mandates remarkable changes to fuel sources for the state's electricity grid and energy supply, which will require investments in new energy plants and transmission and distribution infrastructure. In the Washington clean energy transformation act, the legislature declared a finding that the transition to 100 percent clean energy can occur while maintaining safe and reliable electricity service to all retail electric customers at stable and affordable rates. The legislature therefore intends to provide transparency and accountability to the public about the impact of this policy on the costs actually borne by retail electric customers.

An electric utility must provide, in a prominent manner on all billing statements sent to retail electric customers, an illustrative graphic comparing the retail electric customer's actual bill total with an estimated expected bill total for that customer's rate class if the utility were to supply an electricity product comprised exclusively of least-cost resources. The illustrative graphic must include a footnote with the following information: "Direct subsidies to generators of renewable power from wind and solar projects are paid for by Washington taxpayers. Purchase of this subsidized renewable power from wind and solar projects by electric utilities is mandated by the state Energy Independence Act (chapter 19.285 RCW) and by the state Clean Energy Transformation Act (chapter 19.405 RCW)."