in Washington

Fiscal Budgets Washington state budget and finances Tax policy in Washington Finance Financial regulation in Washington Pensions Public pensions in Washington Pension health in Washington Civil liberties Affirmative action in Washington Campaign finance requirements in Washington Campaign finance requirements for Washington ballot measures Nonprofit regulation in Washington Education Charter schools in Washington Higher education in Washington Public education in Washington School choice in Washington Elections Ballot access Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Washington Ballot access requirements for political parties in Washington Political parties in Washington Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Washington Redistricting in Washington Voting in Washington Energy and Environment Energy policy in Washington Fracking in Washington Oil and gas extraction on federal land in Washington Endangered species in Washington Environmental policy in Washington Healthcare Healthcare policy in Washington Medicaid spending in Washington Effect of the Affordable Care Act in Washington Immigration Immigration in Washington

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Fracking in the U.S.
Energy policy in the U.S.
State fracking policy
State energy policy
Glossary of energy terms

Energy policy involves governmental actions affecting the production, distribution, and consumption of energy in a state. Energy policies are enacted and enforced at the local, state, and federal levels and may change over time. These policies include legislation, regulation, taxes, incentives for energy production or use, standards for energy efficiency, and more. Stakeholders include citizens, politicians, environmental groups, industry groups, and think tanks. A variety of factors can affect the feasibility of federal and state-level energy policies, such as available natural resources, geography, and consumer needs.

This article outlines state-level oil and gas regulations, renewable energy programs, oil and gas production, energy usage, energy and electricity prices, fuel taxes, and utilities in Washington.

See the tabs below for further information:

1. Policy: This tab provides information about state regulations on energy production and policies related to oil and gas production, fracking, renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, and net metering.
2. Production: This tab provides information about total energy production by energy source in Washington.
3. Usage: This tab presents information about electricity consumption by energy source.
4. Prices and taxes: This tab presents information about average energy and electricity prices, per capita spending on energy, and fuel taxes.
5. Utilities: This tab presents information about public and private utilities, electricity markets, the types of utilities in Washington, and the electric reliability organizations in Washington.
6. Background: This tab provides information about the types of nonrenewable and renewable energy sources produced and used in the United States, an energy profile of Washington, a state profile of Washington from the Almanac of American Politics (2016), and economic indicators in the state, such as median income.

Policy[edit]

State regulations[edit]

The Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources has regulatory authority over oil and natural gas operations in the state. As of 2015, Washington had no oil or gas production. However, oil and gas operations have occurred in the past. State rules and regulations cover the drilling of all wells used for oil or gas exploration, the spacing of wells, permitting requirements for oil and gas operators, injection wells used to enhance oil and gas recovery or to dispose of wastewater, the cementing and plugging of wells, the underground storage of natural gas, the prevention of well blowout and leaks, well restoration, reporting requirements, and more. All Washington rules and regulations related to oil and gas operations are found in Chapter 78.52 of the Revised Code of Washington and Chapter 344-12 of the Washington Administrative Code.^[1][2]

Fracking[edit]

See also: Fracking in Washington

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, there were no proven crude oil or natural gas reserves in Washington as of 2015; consequently, there were no fracking operations in the state.^[3]

Renewable energy policies[edit]

States have implemented funding and financial incentive programs to subsidize or otherwise increase investment in renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power. These programs include renewable portfolio standards, grants, rebate programs, tax incentives, loans, performance-based incentives, and more. The aim of the policies generally involves reducing the cost of renewable energy production for consumers, reducing regulatory compliance costs, reducing investment risks involving renewable energy, and/or increasing the adoption of renewable energy sources by individuals and businesses.^[4]

Renewable Portfolio Standard[edit]

See also: Renewable Portfolio Standard

A Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), also known as a renewable electricity standard, is a mandate intended to increase the amount of renewable energy production and use. Under these standards, a utility company can be required by a state to have a certain percentage of its electricity come from certain renewable energy resources. In addition, states may give tax credits to utility companies to fulfill these requirements.^[5][6]

As of February 2017, Washington was one of 30 states with a Renewable Portfolio Standard. In 2006, Washington voters approved Initiative 937, which enacted a renewable portfolio standard. The initiative required electric utilities that served more than 25,000 customers to generate 15 percent of their electricity from new renewable energy projects by the year 2020. The standard applied to investor-owned utilities, publicly owned municipal utilities, and electric cooperatives. Regulated utilities were required to use eligible renewable energy projects and/or acquire renewable energy credits to meet state standards. By January 1, 2016, utilities were required to have 9 percent of their electric load come from eligible renewable sources; this standard was required to be sustained beyond December 31, 2019. By January 1, 2020, utilities were required to have at least 15 percent of their electric load come from eligible renewable sources; the standard was required to be sustained in each subsequent year. Eligible renewable sources included hydroelectric power, wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, landfill methane gas, ocean and tidal energy, biodiesel, and biomass.^[7]

Grant programs[edit]

States, nonprofit organizations, and/or private utilities may operate grant programs for renewable energy. These programs may include state or private funding for energy installation costs, research and development, infrastructure and business development, system testing, and renewable energy feasibility studies (studies that look into the potential for renewable energy use in specific areas). Grants can be provided with or without requiring a recipient to match the grant. Additional incentives, such as lower interest loans, may be included with a grant.^[4]

As of March 2015, Washington was one of nine states with utility-run and/or locally run grant programs for renewable energy. See the map below for grant programs by state.^[4]

States with grant programs for renewable energy as of March 2015 (Source: Environmental Protection Agency)

Loan programs[edit]

Loan programs may be used to offer lower interest loans or other financing options to individuals and businesses to reduce the upfront costs of purchasing and installing renewable energy technologies. Loan programs may include programs that use payments from earlier borrowers to provide loans for new borrowers, programs in which building owners reduce their energy consumption to pay their upfront costs for renewable energy technologies, and programs that allow individuals with a higher debt-to-income ratio to purchase homes that use less energy, among others.^[4]

As of March 2015, Washington was one of 34 states with locally run, utility-run, and/or privately run loan programs for renewable energy.^[4]

A complete list of state, local, and private incentive, loan, grant, and assistance programs for renewable energy and energy efficiency in Washington can be found here.

See the map below for renewable energy loan programs by state.

States with loan programs for renewable energy as of March 2015 (Source: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Energy efficiency regulations[edit]

As of February 2017, Washington required all new residential and commercial buildings to meet energy efficiency standards. All residential and commercial buildings were required to meet energy efficiency standards for heating, ventilating, air conditioning, water heating, and lighting found in the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code.^[8]

Net metering[edit]

Net metering is a billing system in which customers who generate their own electricity, usually using renewable sources (such as solar panels) are able to sell their excess electricity back to the electric grid, which is an interconnected network that is used to deliver electricity. This requires electricity to be able to flow both to and from a consumer.^[9][10][11]

As of October 2016, Washington was one of 41 states with a statewide net metering policy. All utilities in the state were required to offer net metering, offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Eligible renewable energy systems included all solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric power, fuel cells, and combined heat and power systems with a capacity of 100 kilowatts (kW) or less. For a complete list of net metering programs by state, click here.^[7][12][13]

Recent legislation[edit]

The following is a list of recent energy policy bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Washington State Legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Ballot measures[edit]

Energy policy ballot measures[edit]

See also: Energy on the ballot and List of Washington ballot measures

Ballotpedia has covered 16 ballot measures relating to state and local energy policy in Washington.

1. Washington Advisory Vote 19, Non-Binding Question on Oil Spill Tax Repeal (2018)
2. Washington Bonds for Energy Efficiency Projects, Referendum 52 (2010)
3. Washington Carbon Emission Tax and Sales Tax Reduction, Initiative 732 (2016)
4. Washington Energy Conservation, Initiative 937 (2006)
5. Washington Energy Conservation Financing, SJR 120 (1979)
6. Washington Energy Conservation Funds for "Any Individual", SJR 112 (1983)
7. Washington Extension of Energy Conservation Financing, HJR 4223 (1988)
8. Washington Initiative 1631, Carbon Emissions Fee Measure (2018)
9. Washington Modifying Tax Exemption Criteria for Alternative Fuel Vehicles, Advisory Vote 15 (2016)
10. Washington Municipal Electricity, Initiative 52 (1924)
11. Washington Municipal Energy, Referendum 18 (1934)
12. Washington Public Energy, HJR 10 (1936)
13. Washington Public Power Resources, Initiative 12 (1943)
14. Washington Public Utility Districts, Initiative 1 (1930)
15. Washington Surplus Municipal Energy, Referendum 3 (1924)
16. Washington Voter Approval for Energy Project Bonds, Initiative 394 (1981)

Utility policy ballot measures[edit]

See also: Local utility tax and fees on the ballot

Ballotpedia has not covered any ballot measures relating to local utility tax and fees in Washington.

Production[edit]

The sections below include statistics on total energy production in Washington, oil and natural gas production in Washington, oil and gas production in Washington over time (2004-2014), and oil and gas production on federal land, including the amount of federal land leased in Washington for production.

Total energy production[edit]

The table below provides information regarding energy production in Washington in British thermal units (Btu). A British thermal unit is used to measure the heat contained in different fuels. The U.S. Department of Energy defines a Btu as "the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of liquid water by 1 degree Fahrenheit." Fuels are discussed in terms of Btu to compare fuels with different energy content and prices. For example, one gallon of gasoline equals 120,524 Btu.^[14]

Nonrenewable energy production[edit]

The table below provides information regarding nonrenewable energy production in Washington. For coal data, the phrase productive capacity refers to the maximum amount of coal that could be expected to be produced in 2014. The natural gas and crude oil production data refer to the amounts of natural gas and crude oil produced in December 2014 and April 2016, respectively.^[3][15]

Oil and gas production (2004-2014)[edit]

Note: This section provides information about oil and gas production on private and state-owned lands. Information on oil and gas production on federal lands is accessible here.

Because Washington had no crude oil or natural gas reserves as of 2015, there was no oil or gas production in the state.^[3]

Energy usage[edit]

The section below includes statistics on electricity consumption in the state by energy type (in 2014).

Consumption[edit]

The table below provides information about energy consumption by source in Washington in 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.^[3]

Prices and taxes[edit]

The sections below include information on energy prices and spending in Washington, fuel taxes and state taxes in Washington and in neighboring states, and an overview of the federal tax on gasoline.

Energy prices[edit]

The price of electricity is affected by supply and demand. The supply of electricity is affected by fuel prices, environmental and energy regulations, power plant capacity, weather, and other factors. Demand for electricity also affects the price. Because electricity cannot be stored for long periods of time, it must be produced and used when it is needed. As demand for electricity increases, the price also generally increases.^[17][18]

The table below provides information about energy prices in Washington as of April 2016. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.^[3]

Electricity prices can vary depending on the type of consumer; consumer categories include residential, commercial, industrial, and in some cases, transportation. The rate-making process is both political and economic. The table below presents information about electricity prices by consumer type in Washington in April 2016. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Energy spending[edit]

The table below provides information about energy spending in Washington as of 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Fuel taxes[edit]

Click to enlarge.

Revenue collected by federal, state, and local governments from fuel taxes is usually used to fund transportation infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Some states may charge an excise tax based on how much gas or diesel is purchased. Some states may charge retail tax based on the average price of gas over a certain period. Additionally, some states may charge an environmental tax to be used for environmental projects. The Tax Foundation, which created the map to the right, used data from the American Petroleum Institute, which converted each state's different tax structure into cents per gallon to compare each state's gas taxes. In 2016, gas taxes accounted for 23 percent of the price of gasoline. Crude oil accounted for 40 percent of the price of gasoline, refining accounted for 24 percent of the price, and distribution and marketing accounted for 13 percent of the remainder.^[19][20]

The table below provides information about state fuel taxes by type (excluding the federal gas taxes) in Washington as of January 2016. As of January 2016, Washington levied a 44.5 cent state gasoline tax and a 44.5 cent state diesel tax. Washington ranked 2nd highest in total gasoline taxes (federal and state) and 3rd highest in total diesel fuel taxes as of January 2016.^[21][22]

Federal tax[edit]

The first federal tax on gasoline was proposed by Secretary of the Treasury Ogden L. Mills under President Herbert Hoover (R) as a revenue generating measure to balance the budget during the Great Depression. A 1-cent tax per gallon of imported gasoline and fuel oil was passed as part of the Revenue Act of 1932 and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D). The 1-cent tax continued until 1951 when the tax was increased to 2 cents in part to raise revenue during the Korean War. In 1956, the tax was raised to 3 cents to fund the Interstate Highway System. During this time, the Highway Trust Fund was created as a means to fund highway construction. Since 1956, there have been increases to the tax. As of April 2016, the gas tax was last raised by President Bill Clinton (D) in 1993 to 18.4 cents per gallon.^[23]

Utilities[edit]

The sections below include general information on utilities, an overview of utilities and electricity markets, information on the types of utilities in Washington, an overview of electricity reliability organizations (EROs), and the EROs that oversee electricity in Washington.

Background[edit]

Utilities are firms that own and/or operate facilities to generate, transmit, and/or distribute electricity, gas, and/or water to the public. Electric utilities are commercial entities that own and operate facilities to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity to the public and/or the industrial sector. State and local regulators oversee transmission and distribution charges. Local utilities read electric meters and bill individuals or businesses, generally on a monthly basis.^[24][25]

Utilities are defined differently in each state and in federal legislation. Two general types of utilities are private and public utilities. Private utilities, commonly known as investor-owned utilities, provide stocks to investors and sell bonds. These utilities are regulated by state regulatory agencies. State agencies are also responsible for setting retail rates charged by investor-owned utilities, overseeing utility infrastructure, and ensuring that investor-owned utilities respond to customer service demands. Public utilities include government or municipally owned utilities. Another type of utility is an electric cooperative. Cooperatives are nonprofit businesses voluntarily owned and managed by the individuals and businesses that use their services. They are commonly used in rural areas that do not have access to a larger state or region-wide electric grid.^[25]

Electricity markets[edit]

Electricity markets in each state are defined as regulated or deregulated. A regulated market includes utilities that own and manage the power plants that generate the electricity, the electricity transmission lines, and the distribution equipment (such as wires and electric poles). In addition, the utilities rates are approved and regulated by local and state agencies. A deregulated market requires utilities to divest ownership in the generation and transmission of electricity. In this market, utilities oversee the interconnection from a meter at a household or business to the power grid and is responsible for billing ratepayers.^[26][27]

Depending on the state and/or area, public utilities may provide most or all energy services to homes and businesses, or a state may allow other private electricity providers to transmit and distribute electricity in addition to other utilities. For example, one type of private provider is a retail energy provider, which sells electricity in areas with retail competition. The provider purchases wholesale electricity and the delivery services (such as transmission lines) and can price electricity to particular consumers.^[26][27]

As of February 2017, Washington was one of 40 states with a regulated electricity market. The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission regulates and sets rates for the three investor-owned electric utilities in the state—the Avista Corporation, the Pacific Power and Light Company, and Puget Sound Energy. Public utility districts, publicly owned municipal utilities, and electric cooperatives are not regulated by the commission.^[28][29]

Electric reliability organizations[edit]

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to designate an electric reliability organization (ERO) for the United States. An ERO oversees the reliability of a nation's electric grid. In 2006, FERC granted authority to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to develop and enforce grid reliability standards for the United States. NERC, a self-regulated nonprofit corporation, is authorized to enforce grid reliability standards for all users, owners, and operators of the U.S. electrical system.^[30]

NERC works with eight regional reliability organizations to oversee the U.S. electrical system. These organizations, known as regional entities, are composed of officials from investor-owned utilities, federal power agencies, electric cooperatives, and state and municipal utilities. Regional entities enforce NERC and regional reliability standards. Further, they forecast electricity demand and coordinate operations with other regional entities.^[31]

Washington EROs[edit]

As of February 2017, the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) was the NERC-affiliated corporation that oversees electricity in Washington. The WECC conducts studies and assessments of the electricity grid, conducts long-term planning, and develops regional standards for electricity reliability.^[32]

Background[edit]

The sections below include an overview of the types of renewable and nonrenewable energy produced and consumed in the United States, an energy profile of Washington (from the U.S. Energy Information Administration), a general profile of Washington (from the 2016 edition of the Almanac of American Politics), and various economic indicators in Washington.

Background on energy resources[edit]

Nonrenewable energy sources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas (sometimes known as fossil fuels), and renewable sources, such as hydropower, wind, biofuels, and solar energy, are produced in each state, though at different levels depending on a state's geography, energy consumption, and the raw materials available in a particular state. For example, several states do not have coal, oil, and/or natural gas resources. States that lack these resources import these fuels.^[33]

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, oil, coal, and natural gas comprise the majority of the resources used to generate power in the United States. In 2014, the top five energy-producing states were the top five fossil fuel-producing states—Texas, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and West Virginia. These states' fossil fuel production accounted for approximately 42 percent of U.S. energy production in 2014. States with fewer coal, oil, and natural gas resources generally consume less energy. In 2014, the bottom five energy-producing states—Rhode Island, Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Hampshire—produced 0.2 percent of U.S. energy and consumed approximately 2 percent of total U.S. energy.^[33]

The production of biofuels (liquid fuels created from plant or plant-derived materials) is generally concentrated in the Midwest—states such as Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota) given the region's agricultural production of crops such as corn, which is used to make ethanol, a biofuel that can be blended with gasoline and used as a transportation fuel.^[33]

Other renewable sources are used to generate power in the states include hydroelectric power, which accounted for about half of all renewable energy production in the United States in 2014.^[33]

Washington energy profile[edit]

As of 2014, around 50 percent of Washington's petroleum consumption came in the form of motor vehicle gasoline. As of 2014, Washington had five oil refineries, the largest of which refined approximately 227,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Additionally, the state's oil refineries produced jet fuel. As of 2014, Washington was in the top 10 states in jet fuel consumption. This was due primarily to the presence of U.S. Navy installations and U.S. Air Force bases in the state.^[3]

As of 2015, Washington had no natural gas production, and approximately 40 percent of the natural gas delivered to the state came via pipelines from Canada. As of 2015, Washington's electric power sector was the largest natural gas consumer in the state.^[3]

As of February 2016, Washington was the largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States. More than 25 percent of U.S. net hydroelectric generation occurred in Washington. As of 2016, Washington had the sixth-largest hydroelectric facility in the world—the Grand Coulee plant. The remainder of Washington's net electricity generation as of 2016 came from natural gas-fired power plants, Washington's sole nuclear power facility, wind energy, and the state's sole coal-fired power plant.^[3]

State profile[edit]

Presidential voting pattern[edit]

See also: Presidential voting trends in Washington

Washington voted for the Democratic candidate in all five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in Washington, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.^[34]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Washington had four Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 2.21 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Washington coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Washington
• United States congressional delegations from Washington
• Public policy in Washington
• Influencers in Washington
• Washington fact checks
• More...

Economic indicators[edit]

See also: Economic indicators by state

Washington's GDP increased by 3 percent in 2014. Click the image to view a larger version.

Broadly defined, a healthy economy is typically one that has a "stable and strong rate of economic growth" (gross state product, in this case) and low unemployment, among many other factors. The economic health of a state can significantly affect its healthcare costs, insurance coverage, access to care, and citizens' physical and mental health. For instance, during economic downturns, employers may reduce insurance coverage for employees, while those who are laid off may lose coverage altogether. Individuals also tend to spend less on non-urgent care or postpone visits to the doctor when times are hard. These changes in turn may affect the decisions made by policymakers as they react to shifts in the industry. Additionally, a person's socioeconomic status has profound effects on their access to care and the quality of care received.^[35][36][37]

In 2013, the median annual household income in Washington was $60,520, highest among its neighboring states. Most residents in the state earned incomes above 400 percent of the federal poverty level. By September 2014, the state's unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points below the national rate at 5.7 percent.^{[38][39][40][41]}

Note: Gross state product (GSP) on its own is not necessarily an indicator of economic health; GSP may also be influenced by state population size. Many factors must be looked at together to assess state economic health.

See also[edit]

• Energy policy in the U.S.
• Fracking in Washington
• Net metering
• Renewable Portfolio Standard
• Environmental policy in Washington

Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Washington energy policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Footnotes[edit]

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