H-0382.1
HOUSE BILL 1249
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Barnard, Stearns, Couture, Rude, and Keaton
Prefiled 01/10/25. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee on Environment & Energy.
AN ACT Relating to creating the commercial liftoff for energy from advanced nuclear advisory commission; and adding a new chapter to Title 80 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that nuclear energy is a safe and reliable source of nonemitting energy and that all electricity provided to Washington retail electric customers must be from nonemitting or renewable resources by January 1, 2045. The legislature finds that decarbonization policies and artificial intelligence applications have accelerated demand on Washington's electricity grid. Nuclear energy provides significant value to a decarbonized grid; it is a clean firm complement to renewable resources, has low land-use requirements while producing energy at scale, and offers high-paying jobs and regional economic benefits. Therefore, the legislature finds that nuclear energy will play an essential role in the energy transition.
It is the intent of the legislature that a new nuclear energy advisory commission shall provide a credible resource on nuclear energy to the people of the state of Washington and support the growth of the nuclear energy industry. The commercial liftoff for energy from advanced nuclear advisory commission aims to establish a common fact base with the private sector around the path to liftoff for critical clean firm energy technologies.