Title 80 — Title 80 PUBLIC UTILITIES
23 chapters · 368 sections in this title.
RCW 80.28.250 Water companies—Fire hydrants.
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A city, town or county may, by ordinance or resolution, require a water company to maintain fire hydrants in the area served by the water company. The utilities and transportation commission has no authority to waive this obligation.[ 1986 c 119 s 1.]
RCW 80.28.260 Adoption of policies to provide financial incentives for energy efficiency programs.
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(1) The commission shall adopt a policy allowing an incentive rate of return on investment for programs that improve the efficiency of energy end use if priority is given to senior citizens and low-income citizens in the course of carrying out such programs. The incentive rate of…
RCW 80.28.270 Water or wastewater companies—Extension, installation, or connection charges.
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The commission's jurisdiction over the rates, charges, practices, acts or services of any water company or wastewater company includes any aspect of line extension, service installation, or service connection. If the charges for such services are not set forth by specific amount …
RCW 80.28.275 Water or wastewater companies—Assumption of substandard water system or system of sewerage—Limited immunity from liability.
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A water company or a wastewater company assuming responsibility for a water system or system of sewerage that is not in compliance with state or federal requirements, and its agents and employees, are immune from lawsuits or causes of action, based on noncompliance with state or …
RCW 80.28.280 Compressed natural gas—Motor vehicle refueling stations—Public interest.
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(1) The legislature finds that compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas offers [offer] significant potential to reduce vehicle and vessel emissions and to significantly decrease dependence on petroleum-based fuels. The legislature also finds that well-developed and conven…
RCW 80.28.290 Compressed natural gas—Refueling stations—Identify barriers.
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The commission shall identify barriers to the development of refueling stations for vehicles operating on compressed natural gas, and shall develop policies to remove such barriers. In developing such policies, the commission shall consider providing rate incentives to encourage …
RCW 80.28.300 Gas, electrical companies encouraged to provide customers with landscaping information and to request voluntary donations for urban forestry.
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(1) Gas companies and electrical companies under this chapter are highly encouraged to provide information to their customers regarding landscaping that includes tree planting for energy conservation.(2)(a) Gas companies and electrical companies under this chapter may request vol…
RCW 80.28.303 Conservation service tariff—Contents of filing—Rate base—Duties of commission.
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(1) An electrical, gas, or water company may file a conservation service tariff with the commission. The tariff shall provide:(a) The terms and conditions upon which the company will offer the conservation measures and services specified in the tariff;(b) The period of time durin…
RCW 80.28.306 Rate recovery bonds—Rate recovery assets as collateral—Priority of security interests—Transfers.
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(1) Electrical, gas, and water companies, or finance subsidiaries, may, upon approval by the commission, finance or refinance bondable rate recovery expenditures as described in RCW 80.28.303. Bonds, notes, certificates of beneficial interests in a trust, and other evidences of i…
RCW 80.28.309 Costs as bondable rate recovery expenditures.
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(1) Costs incurred before May 17, 2025, by electrical, gas, or water companies with respect to events described in RCW 80.28.005(3)(a) or energy or water conservation measures and services described in RCW 80.28.005(3)(b) shall constitute bondable rate recovery expenditures for p…
RCW 80.28.310 Tariff for irrigation pumping service—Authority for electrical companies to buy back electricity.
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Upon request by an electrical company, the commission may approve a tariff for irrigation pumping service that allows the company to buy back electricity from customers to reduce electricity usage by those customers during the electrical company's particular irrigation season.[ 2…
RCW 80.28.320 Regulation of battery charging facilities.
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The commission shall not regulate the rates, services, facilities, and practices of an entity that offers battery charging facilities to the public for hire; if: (1) That entity is not otherwise subject to commission jurisdiction as an electrical company; or (2) that entity is ot…
RCW 80.28.330 Certificate of public convenience and necessity—Bond or equivalent surety—Rule-making authority.
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(1) A wastewater company may not own or develop a system of sewerage for the purpose of providing service for compensation without first having obtained from the commission a certificate declaring that the public convenience and necessity requires such service.(2) Issuance of the…
RCW 80.28.340 Determination that a wastewater company is unfit to provide wastewater service on a system of sewerage—Commission may order transfer—Power of eminent domain.
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(1) If the commission determines, after providing notice and opportunity for a hearing in the manner required for complaints under RCW 80.04.110, that a wastewater company is unfit to provide wastewater service on any system of sewerage, under its ownership, the commission may or…
RCW 80.28.350 Petition to place a wastewater company in receivership—Power of eminent domain.
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(1) The commission may petition the Thurston county superior court pursuant to chapter 7.60 RCW to place a wastewater company in receivership. The petition must include the names of one or more qualified candidates for receiver who have consented to assume operation of the system…
RCW 80.28.360 Electric vehicle supply equipment—Capital expenditures—Incentive rate of return on investment.
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(1) In establishing rates for each electrical company regulated under this title, the commission may allow an incentive rate of return on investment through December 31, 2030, on capital expenditures for electric vehicle supply equipment that is deployed for the benefit of ratepa…
RCW 80.28.365 Electric vehicle supply equipment, programs, or services—Electrification of transportation plan—Review—Issuance of acknowledgment.
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(1) An electric utility regulated by the utilities and transportation commission under this chapter may submit to the commission an electrification of transportation plan that deploys electric vehicle supply equipment or provides other electric transportation programs, services, …
RCW 80.28.370 Community solar companies—Definitions.
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The definitions in this section apply throughout this section and RCW 80.28.375 unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Community solar company" means a person, firm, or corporation, other than an electric utility or a community solar cooperative, that owns a community…
RCW 80.28.375 Community solar companies—Requirements to engage in business—Registration.
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(1) No community solar company may engage in business in this state except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. Engaging in business as a community solar company includes advertising, soliciting, offering, or entering into an agreement to own a community solar proje…
RCW 80.28.380 Gas companies—Conservation targets.
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(1) Each gas company must identify and acquire all conservation measures that are available and cost-effective. Each company must establish an acquisition target every two years and must demonstrate that the target will result in the acquisition of all resources identified as ava…
RCW 80.28.385 Renewable natural gas program.
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(1) A natural gas company may propose a renewable natural gas program under which the company would supply renewable natural gas for a portion of the natural gas sold or delivered to its retail customers. The renewable natural gas program is subject to review and approval by the …
RCW 80.28.390 Tariff—Voluntary renewable natural gas service.
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(1) Each gas company must offer by tariff a voluntary renewable natural gas service available to all customers to replace any portion of the natural gas that would otherwise be provided by the gas company. The tariff may provide reasonable limits on participation based on the ava…
RCW 80.28.395 Natural gas—Cost of greenhouse gas emissions—Calculation.
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For the purposes of RCW 80.28.380, the cost of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the use of natural gas, including the effect of emissions occurring in the gathering, transmission, and distribution of natural gas to the end user is equal to the cost per metric ton of carbon…
RCW 80.28.400 Commission—Monitoring greenhouse gas emissions—Report.
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The commission must monitor the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from natural gas and renewable natural gas delivered by each gas company to its customers, relative to a proportionate share of the state's greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal. The commission must report to th…
RCW 80.28.405 Clean energy action plan—Greenhouse gas emissions—Calculation of cost.
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For the purposes of chapter 288, Laws of 2019, the cost of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the generation of electricity, including the effect of emissions, is equal to the cost per metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, using the two and one-half percent disc…
RCW 80.28.410 Clean energy action plan—Account for and defer costs.
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(1) An electrical company may account for and defer for later consideration by the commission costs incurred in connection with major projects in the electrical company's clean energy action plan pursuant to RCW 19.280.030(1)(l), or selected in the electrical company's solicitati…
RCW 80.28.420 Gas company recovery of costs associated with replacing certain pipeline facilities—Information to be submitted to the commission—Definitions.
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(1) The commission must initiate a proceeding to provide conditions concerning the interim recovery between rate cases by a gas company of the costs associated with replacing pipeline facilities that are demonstrated to have an elevated risk of failure and the costs associated wi…
RCW 80.28.425 Multiyear rate plan.
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(1) Beginning January 1, 2022, every general rate case filing of a gas or electrical company must include a proposal for a multiyear rate plan as provided in this chapter. The commission may, by order after an adjudicative proceeding as provided by chapter 34.05 RCW, approve, app…
RCW 80.28.430 Authority to enter into agreements with certain organizations—Agreement to govern manner in which financial assistance is provided to an organization—Requirements.
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(1) A gas company, electrical company, or thermal energy company shall, upon request, enter into one or more written agreements with organizations that represent broad customer interests in regulatory proceedings conducted by the commission, subject to commission approval in acco…
RCW 80.28.435 Replacement of natural gas with hydrogen—Notice to commission—Tariff approval.
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(1) A gas company must file a notice with the utilities and transportation commission prior to replacing natural gas with renewable hydrogen or green electrolytic hydrogen to serve customers. The notice must establish that the company has received all necessary siting and permitt…
RCW 80.28.445 Wildfire mitigation plan—Filing requirements.
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(1)(a) Each electrical company must file a wildfire mitigation plan with the commission as soon as practicable after July 27, 2025, unless the company has previously filed a wildfire mitigation plan with the commission prior to July 27, 2025. An electrical company that has previo…
RCW 80.28.450 Thermal energy networks.
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(1) Any gas company and any electrical company may deploy a thermal energy network within their service territories, in accordance with RCW 80.28.460. If a gas company or electrical company intends to deploy a thermal energy network, the company must submit the project for review…
RCW 80.28.460 Thermal energy network pilot project program.
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A thermal energy network pilot project program is established.(1) The department of commerce may award grants for the thermal energy network pilot project program in accordance with RCW 43.31.033.(2)(a) A gas company has priority for developing thermal energy network pilot projec…
RCW 80.28.470 Thermal energy network pilot project—Request for proposals.
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(1) Prior to deploying a thermal energy network pilot project, an investor-owned gas company must issue a request for proposals for a thermal energy network pilot project. When reviewing the proposals, the investor-owned gas company must compare the cost of deployment of a propos…
RCW 80.28.480 Merger of gas and thermal energy rate bases.
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(1) In any multiyear rate plan proposed by a natural gas company or combination utility, the company may propose a merger into a single rate base of its regulated gas operations with its operation of a thermal energy network. The commission may approve the merger of gas and therm…
RCW 80.28.485 Thermal energy meters—Inspectors.
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The commission may appoint inspectors of thermal energy meters who shall, when required by the commission, inspect, examine, prove, and ascertain the accuracy of any and all thermal energy meters used or intended to be used for measuring and ascertaining the quantity of thermal e…
RCW 80.28.487 Thermal energy networks—Commission authority to provide discounted rates.
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(1) Upon its own motion, or upon request by an electrical company or a thermal energy company, or other party to a general rate case hearing, or other proceeding to set rates, the commission may authorize an electrical company to provide discounted rates to a company operating a …
RCW 80.28.490 Financing certain costs and expenses by utility companies—Bondable rate recovery expenditures.
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(1) It is the policy of the state of Washington to encourage the financing of certain costs and expenses by electrical, gas, and water companies at the lowest, reasonable, and prudent cost to customers of such companies including, but not limited to, bondable rate recovery expend…
RCW 80.28.500 Disaster recovery—Financing orders—Rate recovery expenditures.
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(1)(a) If an electrical, gas, or water company applies to the commission for recovery of expenditures related to a federal or state declared disaster or emergency and the commission finds some or all of the expenditures to be reasonable and prudent, the company may petition the c…
RCW 80.28.900 Construction—Chapter applicable to state registered domestic partnerships—2009 c 521.
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For the purposes of this chapter, the terms spouse, marriage, marital, husband, wife, widow, widower, next of kin, and family shall be interpreted as applying equally to state registered domestic partnerships or individuals in state registered domestic partnerships as well as to …
RCW 80.32.010 Cities and counties may grant franchises—Procedure—Liability to restore road for travel.
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The legislative authority of the city or town having control of any public street or road, or, where the street or road is not within the limits of any incorporated city or town, then the county legislative authority of the county wherein the road or street is situated, may grant…
RCW 80.32.040 Grant of franchise subject to referendum.
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All grants of franchises or rights for the conduct or distribution of electric energy, electric power, or electric light within any city or town of the state of Washington by the city council or other legislative body or legislative authority thereof, whether granted by ordinance…
RCW 80.32.050 Sale or lease of plant and franchises.
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Any corporation incorporated or that may hereafter be incorporated under the laws of this state or any state or territory of the United States, for the purpose of manufacturing, transmitting or selling electric power, may lease or purchase and operate (except in cases where such …
RCW 80.32.060 Eminent domain.
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Every corporation, incorporated or that may hereafter be incorporated under the laws of this state, or of any other state or territory of the United States, and doing business in this state, for the purpose of manufacturing or transmitting electric power, shall have the right to …
RCW 80.32.070 Right of entry.
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Every such corporation shall have the right to enter upon any land between the termini of the proposed lines for the purpose of examining, locating and surveying such lines, doing no unnecessary damage thereby.[ 1961 c 14 s 80.32.070. Prior: 1899 c 94 s 2; RRS s 11085.]
RCW 80.32.080 Duties of electrical companies exercising power of eminent domain.
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Any corporation authorized to do business in this state, which, under the present laws of the state, is authorized to condemn property for the purpose of generating and transmitting electrical power for the operation of railroads or railways, or for municipal lighting, and which …
RCW 80.32.090 Limitation on use of electricity.
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Whenever any corporation has acquired any property by decree of appropriation based on proceedings in court under the provisions of RCW 80.32.080 through 80.32.100, no portion of the electricity generated or transmitted by it by means of the property appropriated under the provis…
RCW 80.32.100 Remedy for violations.
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In the event of the violation of any of the requirements of RCW 80.32.080 and 80.32.090 by any corporation availing itself of its provisions, an appropriate suit may be maintained in the name of the state upon the relation of the attorney general, or, if he or she shall refuse or…
RCW 80.36.005 Definitions.
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The definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 80.36.410 through * 80.36.475, unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Community action agency" means local community action agencies or local community service agencies designated by the department of commerce under…
RCW 80.36.010 Eminent domain.
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The right of eminent domain is hereby extended to all telecommunications companies organized or doing business in this state.[ 1985 c 450 s 15; 1961 c 14 s 80.36.010. Prior: 1890 p 292 s 1; RRS s 11338.]