Source: Washington Department of Commerce, March 31, 2020
New workshops, rulemakings, and upcoming dates
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission invites the public to participate in its work to implement Washington’s 2019 clean energy legislation.
The 2019 Clean Energy Transformation Act requires electric utilities to transition to a carbon-neutral supply of electricity by 2030 and source 100% of their electricity from renewable or non-carbon-emitting sources by 2045.
Over the next two years, the commission will conduct numerous rulemakings, workgroups, and other proceedings to implement these changes along with other energy legislation enacted during the 2019 session.
New announcements
- The UTC is monitoring the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) outbreak and its impact on regulated companies and the public. We have added a COVID-19 response page to our website to keep you informed of any changes to our operations.
Commission headquarters is currently closed, following Gov. Inslee’s “Stay Healthy, Stay Home” order. Open meetings and other official business will continue remotely during this closure. Please see the COVID-19 response page for more information.
- On March 27, the commission issued a notice initiating the final stages of its Energy Independence Act (EIA) rulemaking and invited public input on proposed revisions to the rules governing implementation of the EIA. Comments are due May 1.
Legislation passed in 2019 amended portions of the EIA to require utilities to source 100% of their electricity from renewable or non-carbon-emitting resources, update resource definitions, and update renewable energy credit eligibility. The 2019 law also requires the commission to streamline its rules with the requirements of the new legislation as well as add low-income and equity language to ensure all customers are benefiting from the new legislation.
- On March 30, the carbon and electricity markets workgroup posted a scoping document that lists the workgroup members, the structure and intent of the workgroup, proposed dates for workgroup meetings and the workgroup’s public work sessions. The workgroup will help the Washington Dept. of Commerce and the UTC understand potential market-related impacts as electric utilities comply with the Washington clean electricity requirements. The hours and platforms of the workgroup’s public sessions will be determined and noticed at a later date. The scoping documents can be found here.
Upcoming events and deadlines
| Date | Item | Description |
| May 1, 2020 | Comments due | Energy Independence Act rulemaking (UE-190652). The commission invites public input on a second round of proposed revisions to the rules governing implementation of the EIA. The proposed rules are available on the commission’s website at http://www.utc.wa.gov/190652. Comments are due by 5 p.m. Friday, May 1. |