House Bill 2405
HB 2405 allows Washington counties to adopt Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy & Resilience (C-PACER) financing for specified upgrades to commercial buildings, including solar panel installations. C-PACER loans are long term loans that are tied to a property’s title and can help building owners pay for needed upgrades with utility savings and higher property values. It was signed by the governor on March 18, 2020.
Thanks go out to sponsors Representatives Duerr, Barkis, Fitzgibbon, Shewmake, Hoff, Kloba, Corry, Gildon, Ybarra, Jenkin, Pollet, and Doglio. Also offering strong support during the legislative process were the NW Energy Coalition, Northwest Energy Efficiency Council, Building Owners & Managers Association and the International Code Council.
Update April 6, 2020
Gov. Inslee vetoed funding for the bill in a wide range of coronavirus-related budget holdbacks.
House Bill 2248
HB 2248, the Community Solar Access Act, will spur development of projects designed to renters or other electric utility customers that don’t have access to rooftop solar. The act grants particular benefits to projects that benefit low-income households.
The applause here goes to prime sponsor Rep. Beth Doglio and Mason Rolph of Olympia Community Solar, who led a team of student advocates from The Evergreen State College that helped shepherd this bill to final passage.
Update April 6, 2020
Gov. Inslee vetoed funding for the bill in a wide range of coronavirus-related budget holdbacks.
House Bill 2645
HB 2645 brings important changes to the Washington PV module recycling rules. Mandatory manufacturer takeback of retired modules has been delayed for 2.5 years while the WSU Energy Program and a stakeholder group draft a report recommending comprehensive changes. The bill also allows the state to adopt an expected national standard when it is released.
Kudos here for prime sponsor Rep. Norma Smith, WSU Extension Energy Program, and Zero Waste Washington.
Update April 3, 2020
Gov. Inslee vetoed Sec. 2 of the legislation, which had modest funding to convene a stakeholder group. Return here for further updates.
Update April 6, 2020
Gov. Inslee vetoed funding for the bill in a wide range of coronavirus-related budget holdbacks.
