Washington State Senate OKs Bill Giving Utilities Option on Renewable Energy (Power-Eng)
A bill that would give large electric utilities an alternative way to comply with a state law requiring more energy from renewable sources passed the Washington Senate on Monday night after a protracted fight over whether climate change is real and if humans contribute to it.
Senate Bill 5735, sponsored by Republican Sen. Doug Ericksen, passed the chamber on a mostly party line 26-23 vote and now heads to the Democrat-controlled House, where it is likely to face resistance. The measure would allow utilities to meet their targets under Initiative 937 by investing in carbon reduction.
The current state law requires nearly a third of the state's utilities - those with at least 25,000 customers - to get 15 percent of their power from wind, solar, geothermal and certain woody biomass by 2020.
Under the bill that passed the Senate, anything that reduces carbon would qualify, such as the installation of electric vehicle chargers. Utilities could also spend 1 percent of their retail revenue on carbon reduction in order to meet the initiative's requirements.
Supporters say it gives utilities more flexibility and reduces energy costs while reducing carbon emissions.
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