The bill seeks to update the regulatory framework for consumer-owned utilities, including port districts, under the Clean Energy Transformation Act. It expands the definition of "consumer-owned utility" to encompass port districts while clarifying that public utility districts with only one retail electric customer are excluded under certain conditions. Additionally, the bill modifies the definition of "market customer" to refer specifically to nonresidential electricity consumers purchasing from non-utility entities and introduces the term "affected market customer" for those who transitioned to market customers after May 7, 2019.

To enhance compliance with clean energy regulations, the bill mandates the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission and the Department of Commerce to adopt streamlined rules. It establishes new reporting requirements for affected market customers, aligning with existing disclosure regulations, and allows the commission to waive these obligations for customers using nonemitting electric generation or minimal fossil fuel energy for emergencies. The bill also requires consumer-owned and investor-owned utilities to report specific information about electricity contracts and directs the Department of Ecology to create rules for energy transformation project investments. A new section is added to grant the commission enforcement authority over compliance with these requirements, with a timeline for rule adoption set for January 1, 2021.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 19.405.020, 19.405.100
Substitute bill: 19.405.020, 19.405.100