issue area reports | energy and environment energy bills
HB 1589 energy transition
Passed / AWB Opposed sponsor : Rep . Beth Doglio , D-Olympia
This bill was governor-request legislation and a return bill from last year . We remained opposed this year . Similar to last year ’ s version , the bill charts a pathway for Puget Sound Energy to manage costs for customers and PSE under CETA and the CCA . The bill allows PSE to combine their separate electric and natural gas business lines into a combined utility , provides direction to the UTC on how to regulate this new utility , and allows PSE to offer incentives for customers in certain parts of the service territory to switch off from the natural gas system .
However , as re-introduced this year , the bill contained a ban on natural gas . That language was removed in the Senate . While the bill is largely a planning bill , it does create some risks for large industrial users of natural gas and other businesses that rely on natural gas who may be forced to pay higher costs . There was additional concern expressed that the bill would limit or result in a ban on natural gas . However , AWB does not believe that the Senate version of the bill as signed into law constitutes a natural gas ban . The bill was signed by the governor but several provisions are the subject of a repeal initiative .
HB 2039 environmental and land use appeals
Passed / AWB Supported sponsor : Rep . Joe Fitzgibbon , D-West Seattle
This appeals consolidation bill is a continuation of HB 1216 from last session ,
House Environment & Energy vice chair Rep . Sharlett Mena , D-Tacoma , left , talks with the committee ’ s chair , Rep . Beth Doglio , D-Olympia . Mena also serves on the House Transportation and State Government & Tribal Relations committees . Doglio also serves on the House Transportation and Labor & Workplace Standards committees .
which created an expedited permitting process for certain clean energy projects . One of the incomplete elements of that bill last year was limiting the number of appeals these projects have to go through . As introduced , HB 2039 gave all projects an expedited pathway to appeal regardless of whether they were clean energy or not . Unfortunately , because of some concerns from some elements of the business community , the bill was limited to apply to only clean energy projects , as defined under HB 1216 . While the bill does create an appeals consolidation for those projects , it is a missed opportunity for the business community where all projects missed out on this approach .
HB 2070 environmental justice
Failed / AWB Opposed sponsor : Rep . Sharlett Mena , D-Tacoma
This bill was a continuation of environmental justice conversations from previous sessions and was brought forward by the same groups that brought the HEAL Act . This bill , which AWB strongly opposed , created a pathway where projects can be denied based on environmental justice concerns . The draft as introduced received a hearing and advanced out of the House Energy and Environment Committee but did not go further . The bill was introduced largely to start a conversation , which will be occurring over interim . The bill is expected to return next year in a more focused form .
SB 6052 petroleum pricing and data
Failed / AWB Opposed sponsor : Sen . Joe Nguyen , D-White Center
AWB opposed this governor-request legislation , which sought to increase oversight of oil company pricing behaviors in the name of protecting customers . The bill was based off a similar program in California . This bill would have created a number of technical implementation challenges for the Department of Ecology because it was trying to create a brand
Bill considered as part of AWB ’ s voting record
Favorable outcome for Washington businesses
Missed Opportunities
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