A bill is coming soon, perhaps as early as Wednesday, that could fix some of the flaws in the energy law approved by voters in Initiative 937.
Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, chairman of the Senate's Energy, Natural Resources and Marine Wates Committee, made the announcement Tuesday during an energy panel at AWB's annual Legislative Day in Olympia.
But Ranker, who prefaced his comments by restating his support for the underlying goals of the initiative -- developing more renewable energy resources in Washington, and reducing the state's use of non-renewable energy -- cautioned observers not to expect radical changes.
"I have no intention of gutting 937 and turning it on its head," he said.
Rep. Dave Upthegrove, D-Des Moines, likewise stated his support for the initiative, and pleaded with the business community to display patience on the issue. "We won't be able to address everyone's concerns this year," he said.
A main concern of the business community is that, unless something changes, I-937 will lead to big increases in the cost of electricity in Washington. Low-cost power has been one of the state's main competitive advantages for years, but that's in jeopardy because of mandates on the state's utilities to increase the amount of power they use from renewable sources.
Of particular concern is the fact that hydropower is not listed as a renewable source for the purposes of I-937. Washington manufacturers participating in AWB's manufacturing listening tour this past fall cited increasing power rates as a top competitiveness concern.
Sen. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland, said lawmakers have been "dancing around the edges" of 937 for years, but more utilities are growing concerned with the law as deadlines approach.
Washington’s renewable portfolio standard, or RPS, is the result of I-937. It requires that electricity providers get 3 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2012, 9 percent by 2016, and 15 percent by 2020.
"Dates are coming up and people are starting to panic," Delvin said. "That's usually when things happen in the Legislature."
Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, said lawmakers must look at Washington's past and its history of low-cost hydro-power as they consider how to amend the energy law. She said it needs to be more flexible and not, for example, require utilities to purchase power before they need it.
"Cost, to me, is still a huge driver," she said.
Ranker agreed that requiring utilities to buy renewable power before the demand is there is an issue that needs fixing, but he remains optimistic that lawmakers can find a solution that works.
"I believe there are ways to address these issues without gutting the initiative," he said.
