HB 2690 — Electricity/low-income

Summary

Clarifying existing requirements for electric utilities to provide low-income energy assistance without expanding those requirements.

Bill Text

Compared against the Revised Code of Washington as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

This bill amends 2 section(s) of the Revised Code of Washington: RCW 19.405.020; RCW 19.405.120.

• RCW 19.405.020

  a → (12) "Department" means the department of commerce. (13) "Distributed energy resource" means a nonemitting electric generation or renewable resource or program that reduces electric demand, manages the level or timing of electricity consumption, or provides storage, electric energy, capacity, or ancillary services to an electric utility and that is located on the distribution system, any subsystem of the distribution system, or behind the customer meter, including conservation and energy efficiency. (14) "Electric utility" or "utility" means a consumer-owned utility or an investor-owned utility. (15) "Energy assistance" means a program undertaken by an electric utility or by an electric utility in coordination with a third party that administers an energy assistance program

  amended

• RCW 19.405.120

  make programs and funding available households by July 31, 2021 To the extent practicable, priority must be given to households a and type , if applicable, money , including consultation with community-based organizations and Indian tribes as appropriate, and comprehensive enrollment campaigns that are linguistically and culturally appropriate to the customers they serve in vulnerable populations A cumulative previous funding levels for energy assistance compared to : (A) Sixty of the current energy assistance need, or increasing energy assistance by fifteen percent over the amount provided in 2018, whichever is greater, by 2030; and (B) ninety by 2050 toward meeting → read as follows: (1) It is the intent of the legislature to demonstrate progress toward making energy assistance funds available to low-income households to reduce energy burden associated with electricity use consistent with the policies identified in this section. (2)(a) An electric utility must offer at least one program for energy assistance associated with electricity use to customer households that meet the definition of low-income . Each electric utility must demonstrate progress in providing energy assistance associated with electricity use pursuant to the assessment and plans in subsection (4) of this section. An electric utility may focus and prioritize assistance programs to maximize assistance to a subset of low-income household customers with higher energy burdens. (b) An electric utility may demonstrate progress towards providing energy assistance associated with electricity use using any combination of funds, including funds provided by the utility, public agencies, nonprofit service providers, or private donations. t must d energ lectric to serv ent must blicly a racticab rtment m charact electric (b) Each electric utility must disclose information to the department for use under this subsection, including: (i) The amount and type of energy assistance and the number of households served for programs administered by the utility; (ii) The amount of utility-provided funds passed through to third parties that administer energy assistance programs; and (iii) Subject to availability, any other information related to the utility's low-income assistance programs that is requested by the department. (c) The information required by (b) of this subsection must be from the electric utility's most recent completed budget period and in a form, timeline, and manner as prescribed by the department. (4)(a) In addition to the requirements under subsection (3) of this section, each electric utility must submit biennially to the department an assessment of: (i) The programs and mechanisms used by the utility to reduce energy burden associated with electricity use and the effectiveness of those programs and mechanisms in both short-term and sustained energy burden reductions; (ii) The outreach strategies used to encourage participation of eligible households ; and (iii) An assessment of the funding levels, including all energy assistance program costs, needed to meet 60 percent and 90 percent of the current energ assistance need associated with electricity use sessment required in (a) of this subs to improve the effectiveness of th strategies in reducing associated with electricity use --- END ---

  amended

Action History

1. January 28, 2026

   First reading, referred to Environment & Energy.

Sponsors

• (Abbarno) · Primary

Subjects