S-0004.2
SENATE BILL 5015
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Senators Boehnke, Chapman, Christian, Dozier, Fortunato, Harris, Short, Wagoner, and J. Wilson
Prefiled 12/05/24. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology.
AN ACT Relating to increasing efficiency at the energy facility site evaluation council by removing the governor from the project approval process; amending RCW 80.50.040 , 80.50.045 , 80.50.060 , 80.50.071 , 80.50.090 , 80.50.100 , 80.50.105 , 80.50.130 , 80.50.330 , 70A.15.3130 , 80.70.020 , 80.80.040 , 90.48.262 , and 90.58.140 ; creating a new section; and repealing RCW 80.50.320 .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the energy facility site evaluation process culminates in a recommendation to the governor as the final step in the process. The legislature determines that the site evaluation process would be improved if the council were authorized to make the final decision without the necessity of making a recommendation to the governor. The council is the primary decision maker in the site evaluation process, having reviewed and considered all evidence, reports, comments, and submissions by the parties and participants in an adjudicative proceeding. With respect to the office of the governor, the governor's role in the process, apart from appointing the chair of the council, is not a critical piece of the overall project review, and the efficiency and speediness of the site evaluation process would be streamlined by making the council the final decision maker on the projects it reviews.
Sec. 2. RCW 80.50.040 and 2022 c 183 s 5 are each amended to read as follows: