The 2019 revisions to Washington’s net metering statute (including increasing the threshold to 4 percent of 1996 peak power) also requires that the WSU Energy Program office update threshold statistics for each electric utility in the state twice a year.
The latest figures have been released and they confirm that the state’s largest investor-owned utility, PSE, is at 87 percent of the threshold and is projecting to hit 100 percent sometime in Q4 of 2023 or Q1 of 2024.
In addition to working on legislation to extend net metering, WASEIA is also engaged with PSE on ways to smooth a potential transition and prevent a “gold rush” of net metering applications as the utility nears the threshold. In addition, many WASEIA member installers are booked out several months in advance and need to provide accurate quotes to customers and potential customers.
Pacificorp, which has a relatively small Washington customer base of about 120,000 households, stands at 78 percent. Pacificorp, in an electric rate case filing earlier this year, projected it will hit the threshold sometime in 2025.
Avista stands at 47 percent — well short of 4 percent of 1996 peak load.
Consumer-owned utilities that are nearing the threshold include Klickitat County PUD at 97 percent, Franklin County PUD at 90 percent and Okanogan County Electrical Co-op at 87 percent.
Two of the largest consumer owned utilities, Seattle City Light and Snohomish PUD, are at 62 percent and 56 percent respectively.
Here’s the complete report from WSU Energy:
