Senate approves bill clarifying that new port and consumer-owned generation falls under Washington's clean electricity law
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Summary
Substitute Senate Bill 5,982 was passed to clarify that new electricity generation by ports and other consumer-owned utilities supplying large loads (including data centers) is subject to the Clean Energy Transformation Act's standards; opponents warned of costs to ports.
The Washington State Senate passed substitute Senate Bill 5,982 to update clean-energy rules for consumer-owned utilities and to clarify when port-owned generation must comply with the state's Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA).
Senator J. Hunt, who sponsored the bill on the floor, said the bill ensures any new electricity generation — including projects by ports intended to supply large new loads such as data centers — will be covered by Washington's CETA, which requires utilities to obtain 100% of electricity from nonemitting sources by 2045. "This bill clarifies the law to state that any new electricity generation that we build, whether from ports or otherwise, is covered by the same clean energy standards," Hunt said.
Opponents, including Senator Behnke, argued the change could harm port competitiveness, increase compliance costs, and wind up constraining economic development tied to data centers and manufacturing. Behnke urged caution, noting a desire for updated greenhouse-gas analysis and expressing concern over added regulatory burdens on port districts.
The clerk reported final passage by a roll call of 30 ayes and 19 nays, meeting the constitutional majority requirement. Substitute Senate Bill 5,982 was declared passed; the title will be the title of the act. The floor record did not include a chamber-specified effective date.
