Environment, climate bills passed and failed in legislative session

During a recent legislative session in Washington state, lawmakers focused on climate goals and the state's electrical grid, with data centers emerging as a significant topic due to their projected role as the largest source of electricity demand in the Pacific Northwest. Various bills were introduced to address these concerns, aiming to regulate data centers and prevent utility rate hikes for other consumers. Senate Bill 6355, a notable energy bill, successfully passed, establishing the state's own electrical transmission authority. According to Emily Moore of Sightline's climate and energy program, this authority will allow Washington to play a more active role in building the necessary infrastructure to meet its climate goals and reduce reliance on polluting energy sources, mitigating predictions of future blackouts due to grid strain. The new authority will feature a nine-person board tasked with financing partnerships to expand transmission lines. Another significant piece of legislation, Senate Bill 5982, also passed. Sponsored by Sen. Victoria Hunt, D-Issaquah, and recommended by the Washington Data Center Workgroup, this bill requires independent facilities supplying power to data centers to comply with the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA), which mandates 100% greenhouse gas emissions-free electricity by 2045. Julian Santos of Washington Conservation Action highlighted that this closes a loophole allowing large data centers to bypass CETA. Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Stephanie Barnard, R-Pasco, expressed concerns that such regulations could deter business investment in the state. However, House Bill 2515, a comprehensive regulatory measure specifically targeting data centers to protect the grid and offset rate hikes, failed to advance in the Senate Ways and Means committee. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Beth Doglio, D-Olympia, would have required utilities to establish policies for charging data centers, mandated a switch to emissions-free power by 2045, and required yearly sustainability reports and data sharing from data centers. Rep. Doglio intends to reintroduce the bill next year. Other environmental bills addressed fuel supplier emissions (HB 2215), the phasing out of no-cost carbon allowances for emissions-intensive industries (SB 6246), and a longer compliance timeline for Spokane's Waste to Energy facility (HB 2416). Efforts to increase textile waste recycling (HB 1420) and establish a bottle and can deposit program (HB 1607) also failed but are expected to be revisited in future sessions.