In 2019, the Washington State Legislature passed a set of bills setting an ambitious, multi-decade agenda that changes how electric and natural gas utilities acquire resources and provide energy services to Washington businesses and consumers. Among the 11 bills was the passage of Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5116, known as the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA), which requires Washington's electric utilities to eliminate carbon emissions from their energy resources by 2045.
CETA: A Brief Overview
CETA requires the state's electric utilities to fully transition to clean, renewable and non-emitting resources by 2045. Washington's investor-owned utilities (IOUs) must develop and implement plans. To learn more, click here.
Key Roles for the Utilities and Transportation Commission
The UTC is largely responsible for ensuring IOUs meet CETA requirements. To learn more, click here.
Agencies and Stakeholders
The implementation of this package of energy legislation requires multiple state agencies to coordinate their rules and develop mutually supportive timelines for implementation. Those agencies include the state departments of Commerce, Ecology, Health, and Natural Resources. The UTC also expects stakeholders to provide comments on how to best implement the new laws.
How to Participate
The UTC has published an energy legislation implementation plan in docket U-190485.
In a separate docket U-190531, the commission seeks written comments on how utility company property becomes "used and useful" for service in Washington and thereby eligible for cost recovery in customer rates.
Sign up for 2019 clean energy implementation updates here.