Energy & Telecommunications

Providing a Framework for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (E2SHB 2815)

This bill, signed by the Governor on March 13, proposes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create clean energy jobs. Two components of the bill impact cities directly:

• Authorizes the Department of Ecology (DOE) to adopt rules requiring a reporting system to monitor greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The rules must require reporting of GHG emissions from an owner or operator of: a fleet of on-road motor vehicles that emit at least 2,500 metric tons of GHG annually (upon preliminary review, this could impact cities with population over 40,000 due to fleet size); or of a source or combination of sources that emit at least 10,000 metric tons of GHG annually. Reporting begins in 2010 for 2009 emissions.

• Directs the Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to provide recommendations to reduce annual per capita vehicle miles traveled. The WSDOT is required to adopt statewide goals to reduce the annual per capita vehicle miles traveled by 2050 consistent with Executive Order 07-02. WSDOT must establish benchmarks to meet these goals and use as a baseline 75 billion miles traveled less the vehicle miles attributed to vehicles over 10,000 pounds.

  WSDOT must use a collaborative process to develop tools and best practices to assist state and local entities in meeting the benchmarks. It is anticipated that cities will have "a seat at the table" in this process. By December 1, 2008, WSDOT is to provide a report to the transportation committees of the Legislature on the collaborative process and resulting recommended tools and best practices to achieve the reduction in annual per capita vehicle miles traveled goals.

Update on Pole Attachments (E2SHB 2533)

This bill passed the Legislature and has been forwarded to the Governor for her signature. After a great deal of rewrite and negotiation, municipal utilities and rural cooperatives are not referenced in the bill, it therefore only affects Public Utility Districts. The bill includes a pole attachment formula that blends the Federal Communications Commission and the American Public Power Association formulas to create a new attachment fee structure.

Statewide Internet Deployment (E2SSB 6438)

The Legislature approved the bill on March 13 and it is being forwarded to the Governor for signature. This bill calls for the Department of Information Services (DIS) to convene a work group to develop a high-speed internet deployment and adoption strategy by September 1, 2008 and make recommendations to the Legislature by December 1, 2008. The strategy shall accomplish the following:

• Develop a geographic information system (GIS) map and inventory of high-speed internet infrastructure owned or leased by public and private entities, and address how proprietary and competitively sensitive data will be handled, stored and used;
• Spur development of high-speed internet resources in the state;
• Track statewide residential and business adoption of high-speed internet;
• Use local technology planning teams to conduct a needs assessment and work with internet providers to encourage deployment to disenfranchised or unserved areas.

In addition, the bill requires DIS to publish a web directory of public facilities that provide community technology programs in the state by January 1, 2009, and the bill creates the Community Technology Opportunity Program at Washington State University.

Local governments will be invited to participate in the development of the strategy and in the local technology planning teams. In addition, the bill includes an amendment stating that this bill does not limit the authority of state or local governments to gather or request information from telecommunications providers for other purposes pursuant to statutory authority.

[ previous article ] [ return to top ] [ next article ]