Washington can be green and still protect electricity ratepayers

For years, Senate Democrats have been leaders in positioning Washington toward a cleaner-energy future. We put state emissions-reduction targets in statute, gave consumers options to buy green power through utilities, allowed consumers to sell solar power back to the grid, created incentives for investment in wind power, passed the first state green-buildings standard in the country, and passed California's tough clean car emission standards.

This year, our emphasis is on green jobs, and in putting forward an economic strategy for Washington to lead in renewable-energy technology development for years to come. A cornerstone of this focus is a proposal to quadruple the number of homes, farms and business that are retrofitted for greater energy efficiency across the state. The result of a proposal like this is a kind of triple play: we help the environment, create jobs and reduce energy bills for consumers, businesses and farms.

That last point is important in the current economic environment. People's ability to keep their jobs, keep their health coverage, feed their families, keep their homes warm and — in far too many cases — keep their homes, is at risk. The purpose of our state's renewable-energy portfolio standard, which passed into law in 2006 with Initiative 937, is to encourage renewable-energy use in our state and actively reduce greenhouse emissions. I believe it can be made more flexible to account for its impact on ratepayers, and I'm supporting legislation in Olympia to do it.

Opponents of the bill, Senate Bill 5840, have said that it is an attempt to gut I-937.

To the contrary, we can improve the law by removing unnecessary geographical limitations and the unrealistically narrow definitions of renewable energy it contains. Furthermore, we can diversify our renewable-energy portfolio beyond the current tilt of the law toward wind. And we can allow flexibility for utilities in meeting the standards of I-937 during an economic downturn.

The bill seeks to uphold the following principles: preserving I-937's impact on emissions and maintaining incentives for investment in renewable technology, while protecting consumers from the rate shock that would otherwise occur.

As written, I-937 sets a conservation standard and a renewable standard. SB 5840 would allow utilities some flexibility in meeting the renewable-energy standard when costs for renewable energy are high. Utilities would, in effect, be allowed to substitute meeting conservation targets in place of meeting renewable-energy use targets. This still allows utilities to meet I-937's overall emissions goals, but saves the higher costs from being passed onto consumers.

Another way SB 5840 would save consumers money is by recognizing hydro power as renewable energy. About 60 percent of Washington's power comes from hydro. Unlike the majority of Western states, the renewable-energy portfolio in I-937 does not recognize hydro as a renewable. A dialogue on this is necessary, or eventually Washington will be sending its cheap and clean hydro power to California — where it will count as renewable.

During this serious recession, we should work to prevent small public utilities and electrical cooperatives from having to turn away cheap Bonneville Power Administration power to buy more-expensive wind power and pass those costs onto consumers.

To be clear: I-937 is stimulating the wind-power industry, and that's a good thing. But wind by itself is not reliable as base-load power — wind doesn't always blow! In addition to hydro, diversifying our renewable-energy portfolio should also include potentially more-reliable sources as biomass, tidal and solar.

SB 5840 is a work in progress, with details that need to be worked out. For example, I believe renewable targets may need to be increased as the definition of renewable is broadened.

But if an unintended consequence of I-937 is energy bills many families simply cannot afford, we can avoid this and improve the law while still upholding the people's will for cleaner, greener energy in Washington state.

Sen. Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, is the Washington state Senate Majority Leader.