Local Franchise Authority (SB 6003)

This bill would replace local franchise authority for video services (cable television) with a state franchise authority at the Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission. The bill also prohibits build-out requirements, and calls for a more restrictive definition of gross revenue than many cities use today.

We are pleased to report the Senate Water, Energy & Telecommunications Committee did not move this bill along. As of the February 28 cutoff, the bill is considered dead for this year. However, another bill in the same committee (SSB 5592) was stripped of its original purpose and rewritten to call for an interim task force to study the reform of telecommunications regulation, including a review of the local franchise process.

The task force must deliver its recommendations to the Legislature by December 15, 2007. It would include legislators, the Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission, a consumer, a representative of the Governor’s office, and the telecommunications industry. While local governments were not listed as a member of the task force, AWC staff will speak to the bill sponsor to get local governments included in the group.

Scrap Metal Theft (SSB 5312/SHB 1251)

These two bills have been amended and have moved on to the Rules Committee. The Senate adopted a series of amendments that were supported by the prime sponsor and the bill moved out on an 8-0 vote. The House bill had a series of amendments, some which are not very good for the overall bill, and it will likely be changed again on the floor. Overall, AWC is pleased each bill is still moving. We appreciate the diligent support of the prime sponsors, Sen. Rodney Tom (D-Bellevue) and Rep. Dawn Morrell (D-Puyallup), to keep the bills alive and moving.

Mitigating Impacts of Climate Change (SSB 6001)

This bill has had many revisions and finally passed out of the Senate Water, Energy & Telecommunications Committee with the following provisions:

A green house gas performance standard is set that will affect energy generation facilities permitted after June 30, 2008, and any facility that is modified or upgraded after that date.
Each even-numbered year, the Department of Community, Trade & Economic Development will prepare a report for the Governor and the Legislature, detailing greenhouse gas emissions for the preceding two years and identifying each major source sector.
Most of the Governor’s green house gas reduction goals are adopted.
Electric utilities will be prohibited from entering into long-term energy supply agreements unless the energy supplied from those agreements complies with the emissions performance standard established in the bill.

Cities and other electric utility groups will be working with the bill sponsors to further refine the bill.

Allowing for the Net Meter Aggregation of Electricity (SHB 1140)

Under this provision, electric utilities would be required to provide meter aggregation for net metering customer-generators within their service territory upon request by the customer-generator. Meter aggregation means the administrative combination of readings from and billing for all meters, regardless of the rate class, on premises owned or leased by a customer-generator located within the service territory of a single electric utility.

There is a concern that by adding up all usage, customer-generators could potentially qualify for a different rate class with no real economies of scale. The language in the bill does not address what happens when there are different rate classes involved – for instance, when the net metered electricity is produced on a residential rate and may be applied to a commercial rate. The bill passed the House on a 91-5 vote. AWC is concerned with this bill and will work to make changes in the Senate.

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