State delivers a new measure to manage GHG emissions
The 2019 Washington Legislature recently adopted a new measure aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the state’s commercial building sector.
House Bill 1257 adopts a series of legislative changes designed to substantially improve the energy performance of commercial buildings, to encourage the conservation of natural gas and the use of renewable natural gas, and to make new commercial buildings ready for electric vehicle infrastructure.
It is a nod to the fact that natural gas is a major source of heating for Washington’s commercial buildings that the bill adopts two new programs applicable to Washington’s natural gas distribution utilities.
The bill requires those utilities to “identify and acquire all conservation measures that are available and cost-effective” by establishing a conservation acquisition target every two years. To determine whether an efficiency measure is cost-effective, the utilities are instructed to include the Obama administration’s “social cost of carbon” measure in its assessment.
The legislation also encourages the use of RNG by requiring Washington’s natural gas utilities to offer a voluntary RNG tariff, which will allow gas customers to be served with the fuel by agreeing to the tariff.
In addition, the legislation permits natural gas utilities to propose an RNG program for a portion of the gas delivered to all retail customers, with charges for RNG not exceeding the charge for ordinary natural gas by more than 5 percent.
According to an article on the legislation in The National Law Review, HB 1257 will not only place a priority on energy efficiency for Washington’s commercial buildings and develop new programs to support renewable natural gas. It should also promote substantive change in how commercial buildings operate in Washington state through 2040. It’s believed that the bill will provide many new business opportunities for both contractors and investors who specialize in energy efficiency, while also supporting new and existing producers of renewable natural gas.