WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Governor Signs Bill Improving Building Energy Systems

OLYMPIA – Buildings remain the most rapidly growing source of greenhouse gas emissions according to the Department of Commerce and account for 27% of statewide emissions. Yesterday, Governor Inslee was joined by Representative Alex Ramel, D-Bellingham, to sign into law House Bill 1390.

The legislation will require state campuses with central heating systems to develop a decarbonization plan and provide privately owned district energy systems a chance to opt-in to improving the efficiency of their energy generation and distribution. This smart approach will reduce costs by encouraging system wide, rather than building by building, planning, and will also pave the way for public private partnerships that can reduce carbon emissions and taxpayer expenses at the same time.

Second Substitute House Bill 1390 was concurred on by the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support on April 14th following a bipartisan vote in the Senate on April 12th. Changes made to the original bill include expanding which energy systems qualify under this proposal after more system operators expressed interest in participating.

“Washington manages over a dozen campus district energy systems,” said Rep. Ramel. “They are the biggest energy utilizers under management by the state. We can now take tangible action to reduce our carbon footprint, address significant maintenance backlogs, and provide job opportunities in the clean energy sector”.

The law goes into effect July 22nd, 2023, after which state owned district energy systems, including the Capitol Campus, universities, correctional facilities and others, will develop decarbonization plans that will ultimately require approval from the Department of Commerce.