S-0661.1
SENATE BILL 5363
State of Washington 67th Legislature 2021 Regular Session
By Senators Schoesler, Fortunato, Muzzall, and Padden
Read first time 01/27/21. Referred to Committee on Environment,
Energy & Technology.
1 AN ACT Relating to on-bill disclosures to retail electric
2 customers; adding a new section to chapter 19.29A RCW; and creating a
3 new section.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
5 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the enactment
6 of the Washington clean energy transformation act, chapter 288, Laws
7 of 2019, mandates remarkable changes to fuel sources for the state's
8 electricity grid and energy supply, which will require investments in
9 new energy plants and transmission and distribution infrastructure.
10 In the Washington clean energy transformation act, the legislature
11 declared a finding that the transition to 100 percent clean energy
12 can occur while maintaining safe and reliable electricity service to
13 all retail electric customers at stable and affordable rates. The
14 legislature therefore intends to provide transparency and
15 accountability to the public about the impact of this policy on the
16 costs actually borne by retail electric customers.
17 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 19.29A
18 RCW to read as follows:
19 An electric utility must provide, in a prominent manner on all
20 billing statements sent to retail electric customers, an illustrative
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 1 graphic comparing the retail electric customer's actual bill total
2 with an estimated expected bill total for that customer's rate class
3 if the utility were to supply an electricity product comprised
4 exclusively of least-cost resources. The illustrative graphic must
5 include a footnote with the following information: "Direct subsidies
6 to generators of renewable power from wind and solar projects are
7 paid for by Washington taxpayers. Purchase of this subsidized
8 renewable power from wind and solar projects by electric utilities is
9 mandated by the state Energy Independence Act (chapter 19.285 RCW)
10 and by the state Clean Energy Transformation Act (chapter 19.405
11 RCW)."
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