Bill > HB1194

This bill aims to train, educate, and inspire the next generation of the clean and renewable energy workforce. It proposes establishing a joint clean and renewable energy workforce training center (CREW center) and a secure power from American resources center (SPARC center) in the Tri-Cities area. The CREW center will provide workforce training, educational learning experiences, and information on careers and educational opportunities in clean and renewable energy. The SPARC center will focus on inspiring interest in clean energy careers and educating the public on electricity generation, transmission, distribution, and storage. The bill also creates a state excise tax of $1 per megawatt hour on qualified utility-scale solar and wind farms, and allows counties to impose a local option excise tax of up to $1 per megawatt hour on such facilities to support tourism, economic development, and education initiatives. The revenues from repealing existing tax exemptions will be deposited into a new clean and renewable energy workforce capital account to fund the purposes of the bill.