The bill aims to ensure fair treatment of waste-to-energy facilities under Washington's climate commitment act by providing a specific allocation of no-cost allowances for the state's only waste-to-energy municipal solid waste management system. Based on a study by the Department of Ecology, the legislature recognizes that this facility emits fewer greenhouse gases compared to traditional landfill waste management. The bill introduces a new section that mandates the Department to allocate no-cost allowances to the facility, starting at 100% of its greenhouse gas emissions in the first compliance period and gradually decreasing to 97% and then by an additional 3% in subsequent periods.

Additionally, the bill amends existing law to clarify that electric utilities cannot receive allowances for greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity produced by waste-to-energy facilities that are already receiving no-cost allowances under the new provisions. This ensures that the allocation of allowances is equitable and does not result in double benefits for the same emissions. Overall, the bill seeks to balance the interests of waste management and energy production while adhering to state environmental standards.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 70A.65.120