Bill > HB1589

This bill aims to support Washington's clean energy economy and transition to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future. The key provisions include: - Requiring large combination utilities (electric and gas utilities serving over 800,000 electric and 500,000 gas customers) to develop integrated system plans that achieve emissions reductions for both gas and electric operations, prioritize electrification and decarbonization, and ensure equitable distribution of benefits and burdens. These plans must meet specific targets for conservation, demand response, and electrification. - Allowing the utilities commission to consolidate planning requirements for gas and electric operations into a single integrated system plan, and requiring the commission to establish a cost test for emissions reduction measures. - Allowing large combination utilities to seek certificates of necessity for certain renewable or non-emitting electric generation or transmission investments. - Modifying the utilities' fee structure and requiring large combination utilities to include certain greenhouse gas emissions in their emissions baseline and reduction targets. - Requiring large combination utilities to accelerate depreciation of gas infrastructure and allowing the commission to approve the merger of gas and electric rate bases. - Restricting large combination utilities from offering rebates or incentives for new gas appliances starting in 2025. The bill aims to facilitate the transition to a clean energy system in Washington while protecting customers, especially low-income and vulnerable populations.