This section modifies existing section 70A.65.070. Here is the modified chapter for context.
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The department shall commence the program by January 1, 2023, by determining an emissions baseline establishing the proportionate share that the total greenhouse gas emissions of covered entities for the first compliance period bears to the total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in the state during 2015 through 2019, based on data reported to the department under RCW 70A.15.2200 or provided as required by this chapter, as well as other relevant data. By October 1, 2022, the department shall adopt annual allowance budgets for the first compliance period of the program, calendar years 2023 through 2026, to be distributed from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2026.
By October 1, 2026, the department shall add to its emissions baseline by incorporating the proportionate share that the total greenhouse gas emissions of new covered entities in the second compliance period bear to the total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in the state during 2015 through 2019. In determining the addition to the baseline, the department may exclude a year from the determination if the department identifies that year to have been an outlier due to a state of emergency. The department shall adopt annual allowance budgets for the second compliance period of the program, calendar years 2027 through 2030, that will be distributed from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2030.
By October 1, 2028, the department shall adopt by rule the annual allowance budgets for calendar years 2031 through 2040.
The annual allowance budgets must be set to achieve the share of reductions by covered entities necessary to achieve the 2030, 2040, and 2050 statewide emissions limits established in RCW 70A.45.020, based on data reported to the department under chapter 70A.15 RCW or provided as required by this chapter. Annual allowance budgets must be set such that the use of offsets as compliance instruments, consistent with RCW 70A.65.170, does not prevent the achievement of the emissions limits established in RCW 70A.45.020. In so setting annual allowance budgets, the department must reduce the annual allowance budget relative to the limits in an amount equivalent to offset use, or in accordance with a similar methodology adopted by the department. The department must adopt annual allowance budgets for the program on a calendar year basis that provide for progressively equivalent reductions year over year. An allowance distributed under the program, either directly by the department under RCW 70A.65.110 through 70A.65.130 or through auctions under RCW 70A.65.100, does not expire and may be held or banked consistent with RCW 70A.65.100(6) and 70A.65.150(1).
The department must complete an evaluation by December 31, 2027, and by December 31, 2035, of the performance of the program, including its performance in reducing greenhouse gases. If the evaluation shows that adjustments to the annual allowance budgets are necessary for covered entities to achieve their proportionate share of the 2030 and 2040 emission reduction limits identified in RCW 70A.45.020, as applicable, the department shall adjust the annual allowance budgets accordingly. The department must complete additional evaluations of the performance of the program by December 31, 2040, and by December 31, 2045, and make any necessary adjustments in the annual allowance budgets to ensure that covered entities achieve their proportionate share of the 2050 emission reduction limit identified in RCW 70A.45.020. Nothing in this subsection precludes the department from making additional adjustments to annual allowance budgets as necessary to ensure successful achievement of the proportionate emission reduction limits by covered entities. The department shall determine and make public the circumstances, metrics, and processes that would initiate the public consideration of additional allowance budget adjustments to ensure successful achievement of the proportionate emission reduction limits.
Data reported to the department under RCW 70A.15.2200 or provided as required by this chapter for 2015 through 2019 is deemed sufficient for the purpose of adopting annual allowance budgets and serving as the baseline by which covered entities demonstrate compliance under the first compliance period of the program. Data reported to the department under RCW 70A.15.2200 or provided as required by this chapter for 2023 through 2025 is deemed sufficient for adopting annual allowance budgets and serving as the baseline by which covered entities demonstrate compliance under the second compliance period of the program.
The legislature intends to promote a growing and sustainable economy and to avoid leakage of emissions from manufacturing to other jurisdictions. Therefore, the legislature finds that implementation of this section is contingent upon the enactment of RCW 70A.65.110.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 70A.65. Here is the modified chapter for context.
A covered or opt-in entity has a compliance obligation for its emissions during each four-year compliance period, with the first compliance period commencing January 1, 2023. The department shall by rule require that covered or opt-in entities annually transfer a percentage of compliance instruments in order to smooth their compliance obligation, but must fully satisfy their compliance obligation, for each compliance period, in a manner similar to external greenhouse gas emissions trading programs in other jurisdictions.
Compliance occurs through the transfer of the required compliance instruments or price ceiling units, on or before the transfer date, from the holding account to the compliance account of the covered or opt-in entity as described in RCW 70A.65.080.
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A covered entity with a facility eligible for use of price ceiling units under RCW 70A.65.160 may substitute the submission of compliance instruments with price ceiling units.
A covered or opt-in entity submitting insufficient compliance instruments to meet its compliance obligation is subject to a penalty as provided in RCW 70A.65.200.
Older vintage allowances must be retired before newer vintage allowances.
Upon receipt by the department of all compliance instruments transferred by a covered entity or opt-in entity to meet its compliance obligation, the department shall retire the allowances or offset credits.
This section modifies existing section 70A.65.100. Here is the modified chapter for context.
Except as provided in RCW 70A.65.110, 70A.65.120, and 70A.65.130, the department shall distribute allowances through auctions as provided in this section and in rules adopted by the department to implement these sections. An allowance is not a property right.
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The department shall hold a maximum of four auctions annually, plus any necessary reserve auctions. An auction may include allowances from the annual allowance budget of the current year and allowances from the annual allowance budgets from prior years that remain to be distributed. The department must transmit to the environmental justice council an auction notice at least 60 days prior to each auction, as well as a summary results report and a postauction public proceeds report within 60 days after each auction. The department must communicate the results of the previous calendar year's auctions to the environmental justice council on an annual basis beginning in 2024.
The department must make future vintage allowances available through parallel auctions at least twice annually in addition to the auctions through which current vintage allowances are exclusively offered under (a) of this subsection.
The department shall engage a qualified, independent contractor to run the auctions. The department shall also engage a qualified financial services administrator to hold the bid guarantees, evaluate bid guarantees, and inform the department of the value of bid guarantees once the bids are accepted.
Auctions are open to covered entities, opt-in entities, and general market participants that are registered entities in good standing. The department shall adopt by rule the requirements for a registered entity to register and participate in a given auction.
Registered entities intending to participate in an auction must submit an application to participate at least 30 days prior to the auction. The application must include the documentation required for review and approval by the department. A registered entity is eligible to participate only after receiving a notice of approval by the department.
Each registered entity that elects to participate in the auction must have a different representative. Only a representative with an approved auction account is authorized to access the auction platform to submit an application or confirm the intent to bid for the registered entity, submit bids on behalf of the registered entity during the bidding window, or to download reports specific to the auction.
The department may require a bid guarantee, payable to the financial services administrator, in an amount greater than or equal to the sum of the maximum value of the bids to be submitted by the registered entity.
To protect the integrity of the auctions, a registered entity or group of registered entities with a direct corporate association are subject to auction purchase and holding limits. The department may impose additional limits if it deems necessary to protect the integrity and functioning of the auctions:
A covered entity or an opt-in entity may not buy more than 10 percent of the allowances offered during a single auction;
A general market participant may not buy more than four percent of the allowances offered during a single auction and may not in aggregate own more than 10 percent of total allowances to be issued in a calendar year;
No registered entity may buy more than the entity's bid guarantee; and
No registered entity may buy allowances that would exceed the entity's holding limit at the time of the auction.
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For fiscal year 2023, upon completion and verification of the auction results, the financial services administrator shall notify winning bidders and transfer the auction proceeds to the state treasurer for deposit as follows: (i) $127,341,000 must first be deposited into the carbon emissions reduction account created in RCW 70A.65.240; and (ii) the remaining auction proceeds to the climate investment account created in RCW 70A.65.250 and the air quality and health disparities improvement account created in RCW 70A.65.280.
For fiscal year 2024, upon completion and verification of the auction results, the financial services administrator shall notify winning bidders and transfer the auction proceeds to the state treasurer for deposit as follows: (i) $356,697,000 must first be deposited into the carbon emissions reduction account created in RCW 70A.65.240; and (ii) the remaining auction proceeds to the climate investment account created in RCW 70A.65.250 and the air quality and health disparities improvement account created in RCW 70A.65.280.
For fiscal year 2025, upon completion and verification of the auction results, the financial services administrator shall notify winning bidders and transfer the auction proceeds to the state treasurer for deposit as follows: (i) $366,558,000 must first be deposited into the carbon emissions reduction account created in RCW 70A.65.240; and (ii) the remaining auction proceeds to the climate investment account created in RCW 70A.65.250 and the air quality and health disparities improvement account created in RCW 70A.65.280.
For fiscal years 2026 through 2037, upon completion and verification of the auction results, the financial services administrator shall notify winning bidders and transfer the auction proceeds to the state treasurer for deposit as follows: (i) $359,117,000 per year must first be deposited into the carbon emissions reduction account created in RCW 70A.65.240; and (ii) the remaining auction proceeds to the climate investment account created in RCW 70A.65.250 and the air quality and health disparities improvement account created in RCW 70A.65.280.
The deposits into the carbon emissions reduction account pursuant to (a) through (d) of this subsection must not exceed $5,200,000,000 over the first 16 years and any remaining auction proceeds must be deposited into the climate investment account created in RCW 70A.65.250 and the air quality and health disparities improvement account created in RCW 70A.65.280.
For fiscal year 2038 and each year thereafter, upon completion and verification of the auction results, the financial services administrator shall notify winning bidders and transfer the auction proceeds to the state treasurer for deposit as follows: (i) 50 percent of the auction proceeds to the carbon emissions reduction account created in RCW 70A.65.240; and (ii) the remaining auction proceeds to the climate investment account created in RCW 70A.65.250 and the air quality and health disparities improvement account created in RCW 70A.65.280.
The department shall adopt by rule provisions to guard against bidder collusion and minimize the potential for market manipulation. A registered entity may not release or disclose any bidding information including: Intent to participate or refrain from participation; auction approval status; intent to bid; bidding strategy; bid price or bid quantity; or information on the bid guarantee provided to the financial services administrator. The department may cancel or restrict a previously approved auction participation application or reject a new application if the department determines that a registered entity has:
Provided false or misleading facts;
Withheld material information that could influence a decision by the department;
Violated any part of the auction rules;
Violated registration requirements; or
Violated any of the rules regarding the conduct of the auction.
Records containing the following information are confidential and are exempt from public disclosure in their entirety:
Bidding information as identified in subsection (8) of this section;
Information contained in the secure, online electronic tracking system established by the department pursuant to RCW 70A.65.090(6);
Financial, proprietary, and other market sensitive information as determined by the department that is submitted to the department pursuant to this chapter;
Financial, proprietary, and other market sensitive information as determined by the department that is submitted to the independent contractor or the financial services administrator engaged by the department pursuant to subsection (3) of this section; and
Financial, proprietary, and other market sensitive information as determined by the department that is submitted to a jurisdiction with which the department has entered into a linkage agreement pursuant to RCW 70A.65.210, and which is shared with the department, the independent contractor, or the financial services administrator pursuant to a linkage agreement.
Any cancellation or restriction approved by the department under subsection (8) of this section may be permanent or for a specified number of auctions and the cancellation or restriction imposed is not exclusive and is in addition to the remedies that may be available pursuant to chapter 19.86 RCW or other state or federal laws, if applicable.
The department shall design allowance auctions so as to allow, to the maximum extent practicable, linking with external greenhouse gas emissions trading programs in other jurisdictions and to facilitate the transfer of allowances when the state's program has entered into a linkage agreement with other external greenhouse gas emissions trading programs. The department may conduct auctions jointly with linked jurisdictions.
In setting the number of allowances offered at each auction, the department shall consider the allowances in the marketplace due to the marketing of allowances issued as required under RCW 70A.65.110, 70A.65.120, and 70A.65.130 in the department's determination of the number of allowances to be offered at auction. The department shall offer only such number of allowances at each auction as will enhance the likelihood of achieving the goals of RCW 70A.45.020.
This section modifies existing section 70A.65.200. Here is the modified chapter for context.
All covered and opt-in entities are required to submit compliance instruments in a timely manner to meet the entities' compliance obligations and shall comply with all requirements for monitoring, reporting, holding, and transferring emission allowances and other provisions of this chapter.
If a covered or opt-in entity does not submit sufficient compliance instruments to meet its compliance obligation by the specified transfer dates, a penalty of four allowances for every one compliance instrument that is missing must be submitted to the department within six months. When a covered entity or opt-in entity reasonably believes that it will be unable to meet a compliance obligation, the entity shall immediately notify the department. Upon receiving notification, the department shall issue an order requiring the entity to submit the penalty allowances.
If a covered entity or opt-in entity fails to submit penalty allowances as required by subsection (2) of this section, the department must issue an order or issue a penalty of up to $10,000 per day per violation, or both, for failure to submit penalty allowances as required by subsection (2) of the section. The order may include a plan and schedule for coming into compliance.
The department may issue a penalty of up to $50,000 per day per violation for violations of RCW 70A.65.100(8) (a) through (e).
Except as provided in subsections (3) and (4) of this section, any person that violates the terms of this chapter or an order issued under this chapter incurs a penalty of up to $10,000 per day per violation for each day that the person does not comply. All penalties under subsections (3) and (4) of this section and this subsection must be deposited into the climate investment account created in RCW 70A.65.250.
Orders and penalties issued under this chapter are appealable to the pollution control hearings board under chapter 43.21B RCW.
For the first compliance period, the department may reduce the amount of the penalty by adjusting the monetary amount or the number of penalty allowances described in subsections (2) and (3) of this section.
An electric utility or natural gas utility must notify its retail customers and the environmental justice council in published form within three months of paying a monetary penalty under this section.
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No city, town, county, township, or other subdivision or municipal corporation of the state may implement a charge or tax based exclusively upon the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions.
No state agency may adopt or enforce a greenhouse gas pricing or market-based emissions cap and reduce program for stationary sources, or adopt or enforce emission limitations on greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources except as:
Provided in this chapter;
Authorized or directed by state statute; or
Required to implement a federal statute, rule, or program.
This chapter preempts the provisions of chapter 173-442 WAC.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 70A.65. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The executive office of climate policy and accountability is established within the department. The office shall report to the director of the department.
The primary purpose of the executive office of climate policy and accountability is to support Washington state's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide accountability to achieve the greenhouse gas limits established in RCW 70A.45.020, and provide an accurate greenhouse gas inventory. The office must aggressively implement laws and policies to achieve those limits including, but not limited to, the cap and invest program created under this chapter. The office is expected to represent the state on national and international greenhouse gas emissions reduction policies.
The executive office of climate policy and accountability must be established by July 1, 2022, and staffing transfers must be complete by July 1, 2023.
The executive office of climate policy and accountability must develop and present to the legislature a strategic climate work plan with performance milestones and accountability measures by January 31, 2024. The office must submit a legislative report on progress by January 31, 2025, and every two years thereafter.
This section modifies existing section 70A.65.020. Here is the modified chapter for context.
To ensure that the program created in RCW 70A.65.060 through 70A.65.210 achieves reductions in criteria pollutants as well as greenhouse gas emissions in overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution, the department must:
Identify overburdened communities, which may be accomplished through the department's process to identify overburdened communities under chapter 70A.02 RCW;
Deploy an air monitoring network in overburdened communities to collect sufficient air quality data for the 2023 review and subsequent reviews of criteria pollutant reductions conducted under subsection (2) of this section; and
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Within the identified overburdened communities, analyze and determine which sources are the greatest contributors of criteria pollutants and develop a high priority list of significant emitters.
Prior to listing any entity as a high priority emitter, the department must notify that entity and share the data used to rank that entity as a high priority emitter, and provide a period of not less than 60 days for the covered entity to submit more recent data or other information relevant to the designation of that entity as a high priority emitter.
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Beginning in 2023, and every two years thereafter, the department must conduct a review to determine levels of criteria pollutants, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, in the overburdened communities identified under subsection (1) of this section. This review must also include an evaluation of initial and subsequent health impacts related to criteria pollution in overburdened communities. The department may conduct this evaluation jointly with the department of health.
Once this review determines the levels of criteria pollutants in an identified overburdened community, then the department, in consultation with local air pollution control authorities, must:
(A) National ambient air quality standards established by the United States environmental protection agency; or
(B) The air quality experienced in neighboring communities that are not identified as overburdened;
ii. Identify the stationary and mobile sources that are the greatest contributors of those emissions that are either increasing or not decreasing;
iii. Achieve the reduction targets through adoption of emission control strategies or other methods;
iv. Adopt, along with local air pollution control authorities, stricter air quality standards, emission standards, or emissions limitations on criteria pollutants, consistent with the authority of the department provided under RCW 70A.15.3000, and may consider alternative mitigation actions that would reduce criteria pollution by similar amounts; and
v. After adoption of the stricter air quality standards, emission standards, or emissions limitations on criteria pollutants under (b)(iv) of this subsection, issue an enforceable order or the local air authority must issue an enforceable order, as authorized under RCW 70A.15.1100, as necessary to comply with the stricter standards or limitations and the requirements of this section. The department or local air authority must initiate the process, including provision of notice to all relevant affected permittees or registered sources and to the public, to adopt and implement an enforceable order required under this subsection within six months of the adoption of standards or limitations under (b)(iv) of this subsection.
c. Actions imposed under this section may not impose requirements on a permitted stationary source that are disproportionate to the permitted stationary source's contribution to air pollution compared to other permitted stationary sources and other sources of criteria pollutants in the overburdened community.
An eligible facility sited after July 25, 2021, that receives allowances under RCW 70A.65.110 must mitigate increases in particulate matter in overburdened communities due to its emissions.
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The department must create and adopt a supplement to the department's community engagement plan developed pursuant to chapter 70A.02 RCW. The supplement must describe how the department will engage with overburdened communities and vulnerable populations in:
Identifying emitters in overburdened communities; and
Monitoring and evaluating criteria pollutant emissions in those areas.
The community engagement plan must include methods for outreach and communication with those who face barriers, language or otherwise, to participation.
This section modifies existing section 70A.65.150. Here is the modified chapter for context.
To help minimize allowance price volatility in the auction, the department shall adopt by rule an auction floor price and a schedule for the floor price to increase by a predetermined amount every year. The department may not sell allowances at bids lower than the auction floor price. The department's rules must specify holding limits that determine the maximum number of allowances that may be held for use or trade by a registered entity at any one time. The department shall also establish a reserve auction floor price to limit extraordinary prices and to determine when to offer allowances through the allowance price containment reserve auctions authorized under this section.
For calendar years 2023 through 2026, the department must place no less than two percent of the total number of allowances available from the allowance budgets for those years in an allowance price containment reserve. The reserve must be designed as a mechanism to assist in containing compliance costs for covered and opt-in entities in the event of unanticipated high costs for compliance instruments.
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The department shall adopt rules for holding auctions of allowances from the price containment reserve when the settlement prices in the preceding auction exceed the adopted reserve auction floor price. The auction must be separate from auctions of other allowances.
Allowances must also be distributed from the allowance price containment reserve by auction when new covered and opt-in entities enter the program and allowances in the emissions containment reserve under RCW 70A.65.140(5) are exhausted.
Only covered and opt-in entities may participate in the auction of allowances from the allowance price containment reserve.
The process for reserve auctions is the same as the process provided in RCW 70A.65.100 and the proceeds from reserve auctions must be treated the same.
The department shall by rule:
Set the reserve auction floor price in advance of the reserve auction. The department may choose to establish multiple price tiers for the allowances from the reserve;
Establish the requirements and schedule for the allowance price containment reserve auctions; and
Establish the amount of allowances to be placed in the allowance price containment reserve after the first compliance period ending in 2026.
This section modifies existing section 70A.65.160. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The department shall establish a price ceiling to provide cost protection for facilities obligated to comply with this chapter. The ceiling must be set at a level sufficient to facilitate investments to achieve further emission reductions beyond those enabled by the price ceiling, with the intent that investments accelerate the state's achievement of greenhouse gas limits established under RCW 70A.45.020. The price ceiling must increase annually in proportion to the reserve auction floor price established in RCW 70A.65.150(1).
In the event that no allowances remain in the allowance price containment reserve, the department must issue the number of price ceiling units for sale sufficient to provide cost protection for facilities as established under subsection (1) of this section. Purchases must be limited to entities that do not have sufficient eligible compliance instruments in their holding and compliance accounts for the next compliance period and these entities may only purchase what they need to meet their compliance obligation for the current compliance period. Price ceiling units may not be sold or transferred and must be retired for compliance in the current compliance period. A price ceiling unit is not a property right.
Funds raised in connection with the sale of price ceiling units must be expended to achieve emissions reductions on at least a metric ton for metric ton basis that are real, permanent, quantifiable, verifiable, enforceable by the state, and in addition to any greenhouse gas emission reduction otherwise required by law or regulation and any other greenhouse gas emission reduction that otherwise would occur.
This section modifies existing section 70A.65.230. Here is the modified chapter for context.
It is the intent of the legislature that each year the total investments made through the carbon emissions reduction account created in RCW 70A.65.240, the climate commitment account created in RCW 70A.65.260, the natural climate solutions account created in RCW 70A.65.270, and the air quality and health disparities improvement account created in RCW 70A.65.280, achieve the following:
A minimum of not less than 35 percent and a goal of 40 percent of total investments that provide direct and meaningful benefits to vulnerable populations within the boundaries of overburdened communities identified under chapter 70A.02 RCW; and
In addition to the requirements of (a) of this subsection, a minimum of not less than 10 percent of total investments that are used for programs, activities, or projects formally supported by a resolution of an Indian tribe, with priority given to otherwise qualifying projects directly administered or proposed by an Indian tribe. An investment that meets the requirements of both this subsection (1)(b) and (a) of this subsection may count toward the minimum percentage targets for both subsections.
The expenditure of moneys under this chapter must be consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, and treaty rights including, but not limited to, prohibitions on uses of funds imposed by the state Constitution.
For the purposes of this section, "benefits" means investments or activities that:
Reduce vulnerable population characteristics, environmental burdens, or associated risks that contribute significantly to the cumulative impact designation of overburdened communities;
Meaningfully protect an overburdened community from, or support community response to, the impacts of air pollution or climate change; or
Meet a community need identified by vulnerable members of the overburdened community that is consistent with the intent of this chapter.
The state must develop a process by which to evaluate the impacts of the investments made under this chapter, work across state agencies to develop and track priorities across the different eligible funding categories, and work with the environmental justice council pursuant to RCW 70A.65.040.
No expenditures may be made from the carbon emissions reduction account created in RCW 70A.65.240, the climate investment account created in RCW 70A.65.250, or the air quality and health disparities improvement account created in RCW 70A.65.280 if, by April 1, 2023, the legislature has not considered and enacted request legislation brought forth by the department under RCW 70A.65.060 that outlines a compliance pathway specific to emissions-intensive, trade-exposed businesses for achieving their proportionate share of the state's emissions reduction limits through 2050.
This section modifies existing section 70A.15.2200. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The board of any activated authority or the department, may classify air contaminant sources, by ordinance, resolution, rule or regulation, which in its judgment may cause or contribute to air pollution, according to levels and types of emissions and other characteristics which cause or contribute to air pollution, and may require registration or reporting or both for any such class or classes. Classifications made pursuant to this section may be for application to the area of jurisdiction of such authority, or the state as a whole or to any designated area within the jurisdiction, and shall be made with special reference to effects on health, economic and social factors, and physical effects on property.
Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, any person operating or responsible for the operation of air contaminant sources of any class for which the ordinances, resolutions, rules or regulations of the department or board of the authority, require registration or reporting shall register therewith and make reports containing information as may be required by such department or board concerning location, size and height of contaminant outlets, processes employed, nature of the contaminant emission and such other information as is relevant to air pollution and available or reasonably capable of being assembled. In the case of emissions of greenhouse gases as defined in RCW 70A.45.010 the department shall adopt rules requiring reporting of those emissions. The department or board may require that such registration or reporting be accompanied by a fee, and may determine the amount of such fee for such class or classes: PROVIDED, That the amount of the fee shall only be to compensate for the costs of administering such registration or reporting program which shall be defined as initial registration and annual or other periodic reports from the source owner providing information directly related to air pollution registration, on-site inspections necessary to verify compliance with registration requirements, data storage and retrieval systems necessary for support of the registration program, emission inventory reports and emission reduction credits computed from information provided by sources pursuant to registration program requirements, staff review, including engineering or other reliable analysis for accuracy and currentness, of information provided by sources pursuant to registration program requirements, clerical and other office support provided in direct furtherance of the registration program, and administrative support provided in directly carrying out the registration program: PROVIDED FURTHER, That any such registration made with either the board or the department shall preclude a further registration and reporting with any other board or the department, except that emissions of greenhouse gases as defined in RCW 70A.45.010 must be reported as required under subsection (5) of this section.
All registration program and reporting fees collected by the department shall be deposited in the air pollution control account. All registration program fees collected by the local air authorities shall be deposited in their respective treasuries.
This subsection does not apply to a grain warehouse or grain elevator if the warehouse or elevator handles more than 10,000,000 bushels of grain annually.
For the purposes of subsection (3) of this section:
A "grain warehouse" or "grain elevator" is an establishment classified in standard industrial classification (SIC) code 5153 for wholesale trade for which a license is required and includes, but is not limited to, such a licensed facility that also conducts cleaning operations for grain;
A "license" is a license issued by the department of agriculture licensing a facility as a grain warehouse or grain elevator under chapter 22.09 RCW or a license issued by the federal government licensing a facility as a grain warehouse or grain elevator for purposes similar to those of licensure for the facility under chapter 22.09 RCW; and
"Grain" means a grain or a pulse.
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The department shall adopt rules requiring persons to report emissions of greenhouse gases as defined in RCW 70A.45.010 where those emissions from a single facility, or from electricity or fossil fuels sold in Washington by a single supplier or local distribution company, meet or exceed 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. The rules adopted by the department must support implementation of the program created in RCW 70A.65.060. In addition, the rules must require that:
Emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels be reported separately from emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from the combustion of biomass; and
Each annual report must include emissions data for the preceding calendar year and must be submitted to the department by March 31st of the year in which the report is due**, except for an electric power entity, which must submit its report by June 1st of the year in which the report is due**.
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The department may by rule include additional gases to the definition of "greenhouse gas" in RCW 70A.45.010 only if the gas has been designated as a greenhouse gas by the United States congress, by the United States environmental protection agency, or included in external greenhouse gas emission trading programs with which Washington has pursuant to RCW 70A.65.210. Prior to including additional gases to the definition of "greenhouse gas" in RCW 70A.45.010, the department shall notify the appropriate committees of the legislature.
The department may by rule exempt persons who are required to report greenhouse gas emissions to the United States environmental protection agency and who emit less than 10,000 metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent annually.
The department must establish a methodology for persons who are not required to report under this section to voluntarily report their greenhouse gas emissions.
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(A) The United States environmental protection agency adopts final amendments to 40 C.F.R. Part 98 to ensure consistency with federal reporting requirements for emissions of greenhouse gases; or
(B) Needed to ensure consistency with emissions reporting requirements for jurisdictions with which Washington has entered a linkage agreement.
ii. The department shall not amend its rules in a manner that conflicts with this section.
d. The department shall share any reporting information reported to it with the local air authority in which the person reporting under the rules adopted by the department operates.
e. The fee provisions in subsection (2) of this section apply to reporting of emissions of greenhouse gases. Persons required to report under (a) of this subsection who fail to report or pay the fee required in subsection (2) of this section are subject to enforcement penalties under this chapter. The department shall enforce the reporting rule requirements. When a person that holds a compliance obligation under RCW 70A.65.080 fails to submit an emissions data report or fails to obtain a positive emissions data verification statement in accordance with (g)(ii) of this subsection, the department may assign an emissions level for that person.
f. The energy facility site evaluation council shall, simultaneously with the department, adopt rules that impose greenhouse gas reporting requirements in site certifications on owners or operators of a facility permitted by the energy facility site evaluation council. The greenhouse gas reporting requirements imposed by the energy facility site evaluation council must be the same as the greenhouse gas reporting requirements imposed by the department. The department shall share any information reported to it from facilities permitted by the energy facility site evaluation council with the council, including notice of a facility that has failed to report as required. The energy facility site evaluation council shall contract with the department to monitor the reporting requirements adopted under this section.
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i. The department must establish by rule the methods of verifying the accuracy of emissions reports.
ii. Verification requirements apply at a minimum to persons required to report under (a) of this subsection with emissions that equal or exceed 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, including carbon dioxide from biomass-derived fuels, or to persons who have a compliance obligation under RCW 70A.65.080 in any year of the current compliance period. The department may adopt rules to accept verification reports from another jurisdiction with a linkage agreement pursuant to RCW 70A.65.180 in cases where the department deems that the methods or procedures are substantively similar.
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i. The definitions in RCW 70A.45.010 apply throughout this subsection (5) unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
ii. For the purpose of this subsection (5), the term "supplier" includes: (A) Suppliers that produce, import, or deliver, or any combination of producing, importing, or delivering, a quantity of fuel products in Washington that, if completely combusted, oxidized, or used in other processes, would result in the release of greenhouse gases in Washington equivalent to or higher than the threshold established under (a) of this subsection; and (B) suppliers of carbon dioxide that produce, import, or deliver a quantity of carbon dioxide in Washington that, if released, would result in emissions equivalent to or higher than the threshold established under (a) of this subsection.
iii. For the purpose of this subsection (5), the term "person" includes: (A) An owner or operator of a facility; (B) a supplier; or (C) an electric power entity.
iv. For the purpose of this subsection (5), the term "facility" includes facilities that directly emit greenhouse gases in Washington equivalent to the threshold established under (a) of this subsection with at least one source category listed in the United States environmental protection agency's mandatory greenhouse gas reporting regulation, 40 C.F.R. Part 98 Subparts C through II and RR through UU, as adopted on April 25, 2011.
v. For the purpose of this subsection (5), the term "electric power entity" includes any of the following that supply electric power in Washington with associated emissions of greenhouse gases equal to or above the threshold established under (a) of this subsection: (A) Electricity importers and exporters; (B) retail providers, including multijurisdictional retail providers; and (C) first jurisdictional deliverers, as defined in RCW 70A.65.010, not otherwise included here.
This section modifies existing section 70A.65.010. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
"Allowance" means an authorization to emit up to one metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent.
"Allowance price containment reserve" means an account maintained by the department with allowances available for sale through separate reserve auctions at predefined prices to assist in containing compliance costs for covered and opt-in entities in the event of unanticipated high costs for compliance instruments.
"Annual allowance budget" means the total number of greenhouse gas allowances allocated for auction and distribution for one calendar year by the department.
"Asset controlling supplier" means any entity that owns or operates interconnected electricity generating facilities or serves as an exclusive marketer for these facilities even though it does not own them, and has been designated by the department and received a department-published emissions factor for the wholesale electricity procured from its system. The department shall use a methodology consistent with the methodology used by an external greenhouse gas emissions trading program that shares the regional electricity transmission system. Electricity from an asset controlling supplier is considered a specified source of electricity.
"Auction" means the process of selling greenhouse gas allowances by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then distributing the allowances to winning bidders.
"Auction floor price" means a price for allowances below which bids at auction are not eligible to be accepted.
"Auction purchase limit" means the limit on the number of allowances one registered entity or a group of affiliated registered entities may purchase from the share of allowances sold at an auction.
"Balancing authority" means the responsible entity that integrates resource plans ahead of time, maintains load-interchange-generation balance within a balancing authority area, and supports interconnection frequency in real time.
"Balancing authority area" means the collection of generation, transmission, and load within the metered boundaries of a balancing authority. A balancing authority maintains load-resource balance within this area.
"Best available technology" means a technology or technologies that will achieve the greatest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, taking into account the fuels, processes, and equipment used by facilities to produce goods of comparable type, quantity, and quality. Best available technology must be technically feasible, commercially available, economically viable, not create excessive environmental impacts, and be compliant with all applicable laws while not changing the characteristics of the good being manufactured.
"Biomass" means nonfossilized and biodegradable organic material originating from plants, animals, and microorganisms, including products, by-products, residues, and waste from agriculture, forestry, and related industries as well as the nonfossilized and biodegradable organic fractions of municipal wastewater and industrial waste, including gases and liquids recovered from the decomposition of nonfossilized and biodegradable organic material.
"Biomass-derived fuels," "biomass fuels," or "biofuels" means fuels derived from biomass that have at least 40 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions based on a full life-cycle analysis when compared to petroleum fuels for which biofuels are capable as serving as a substitute.
"Carbon dioxide equivalents" means a measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases based on their global warming potential.
"Carbon dioxide removal" means deliberate human activities removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and durably storing it in geological, terrestrial, or ocean reservoirs, or in products. "Carbon dioxide removal" includes existing and potential anthropogenic enhancement of biological or geochemical sinks and including, but not limited to, carbon mineralization and direct air capture and storage.
"Climate commitment" means the process and mechanisms to ensure a coordinated and strategic approach to advancing climate resilience and environmental justice and achieving an equitable and inclusive transition to a carbon neutral economy.
"Climate resilience" is the ongoing process of anticipating, preparing for, and adapting to changes in climate and minimizing negative impacts to our natural systems, infrastructure, and communities. For natural systems, increasing climate resilience involves restoring and increasing the health, function, and integrity of our ecosystems and improving their ability to absorb and recover from climate-affected disturbances. For communities, increasing climate resilience means enhancing their ability to understand, prevent, adapt, and recover from climate impacts to people and infrastructure.
"Closed facility" means a facility at which the current owner or operator has elected to permanently stop production and will no longer be an emissions source.
"Compliance instrument" means an allowance or offset credit issued by the department or by an external greenhouse gas emissions trading program to which Washington has linked its greenhouse gas emissions cap and invest program. One compliance instrument is equal to one metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent.
"Compliance obligation" means the requirement to submit to the department the number of compliance instruments equivalent to a covered or opt-in entity's covered emissions during the compliance period.
"Compliance period" means the four-year period for which the compliance obligation is calculated for covered entities.
"Cost burden" means the impact on rates or charges to customers of electric utilities in Washington state for the incremental cost of electricity service to serve load due to the compliance cost for greenhouse gas emissions caused by the program. Cost burden includes administrative costs from the utility's participation in the program.
"Covered emissions" means the emissions for which a covered entity has a compliance obligation under RCW 70A.65.080.
"Covered entity" means a person that is designated by the department as subject to RCW 70A.65.060 through 70A.65.210.
"Cumulative environmental health impact" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 70A.02.010.
"Curtailed facility" means a facility at which the owner or operator has temporarily suspended production but for which the owner or operator maintains operating permits and retains the option to resume production if conditions become amenable.
"Department" means the department of ecology.
"Electricity importer" means:
For electricity that is scheduled with a NERC e-tag to a final point of delivery into a balancing authority area located entirely within the state of Washington, the electricity importer is identified on the NERC e-tag as the purchasing-selling entity on the last segment of the tag's physical path with the point of receipt located outside the state of Washington and the point of delivery located inside the state of Washington;
For facilities physically located outside the state of Washington with the first point of interconnection to a balancing authority area located entirely within the state of Washington when the electricity is not scheduled on a NERC e-tag, the electricity importer is the facility operator or owner;
For electricity imported through a centralized market, the electricity importer will be defined by rule consistent with the rules required under RCW 70A.65.080(1)(c);
For electricity from facilities allocated to serve retail electricity customers of a multijurisdictional electric company, the electricity importer is the multijurisdictional electric company;
If the importer identified under (a) of this subsection is a federal power marketing administration over which the state of Washington does not have jurisdiction, and the federal power marketing administration has not voluntarily elected to comply with the program, then the electricity importer is the next purchasing-selling entity in the physical path on the NERC e-tag, or if no additional purchasing-selling entity over which the state of Washington has jurisdiction, then the electricity importer is the electric utility that operates the Washington transmission or distribution system, or the generation balancing authority;
For electricity that is imported into the state by a federal power marketing administration and sold to a public body or cooperative customer or direct service industrial customer located in Washington pursuant to section 5(b) or (d) of the Pacific Northwest electric power planning and conservation act of 1980, P.L. 96-501, the electricity importer is the federal marketing administration;
If the importer identified under (f) of this subsection has not voluntarily elected to comply with the program, then the electricity importer is the public body or cooperative customer or direct service industrial customer; or
For electricity from facilities allocated to a consumer-owned utility inside the state of Washington from a multijurisdictional consumer-owned utility, the electricity importer is the consumer-owned utility inside the state of Washington.
"Emissions containment reserve allowance" means a conditional allowance that is withheld from sale at an auction by the department or its agent to secure additional emissions reductions in the event prices fall below the emissions containment reserve trigger price.
"Emissions containment reserve trigger price" means the price below which allowances will be withheld from sale by the department or its agent at an auction, as determined by the department by rule.
"Emissions threshold" means the greenhouse gas emission level at or above which a person has a compliance obligation.
"Environmental benefits" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 70A.02.010.
"Environmental harm" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 70A.02.010.
"Environmental impacts" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 70A.02.010.
"Environmental justice" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 70A.02.010.
"Environmental justice assessment" has the same meaning as identified in RCW 70A.02.060.
"External greenhouse gas emissions trading program" means a government program, other than Washington's program created in this chapter, that restricts greenhouse gas emissions from sources outside of Washington and that allows emissions trading.
"Facility" means any physical property, plant, building, structure, source, or stationary equipment located on one or more contiguous or adjacent properties in actual physical contact or separated solely by a public roadway or other public right-of-way and under common ownership or common control, that emits or may emit any greenhouse gas.
"First jurisdictional deliverer" means the owner or operator of an electric generating facility in Washington or an electricity importer.
"General market participant" means a registered entity that is not identified as a covered entity or an opt-in entity that is registered in the program registry and intends to purchase, hold, sell, or voluntarily retire compliance instruments.
"Greenhouse gas" has the same meaning as in RCW 70A.45.010.
"Holding limit" means the maximum number of allowances that may be held for use or trade by a registered entity at any one time.
"Imported electricity" means electricity generated outside the state of Washington with a final point of delivery within the state.
"Imported electricity" includes electricity from an organized market, such as the energy imbalance market.
"Imported electricity" includes imports from linked jurisdictions, but such imports shall be construed as having no emissions.
Electricity from a system that is marketed by a federal power marketing administration shall be construed as "imported electricity," not electricity generated in the state of Washington.
"Imported electricity" does not include electricity imports of unspecified electricity that are netted by exports of unspecified electricity to any jurisdiction not covered by a linked program by the same entity within the same hour.
For a multijurisdictional electric company, "imported electricity" means electricity, other than from in-state facilities, that contributes to a common system power pool. Where a multijurisdictional electric company has a cost allocation methodology approved by the utilities and transportation commission, the allocation of specific facilities to Washington's retail load will be in accordance with that methodology.
For a multijurisdictional consumer-owned utility, "imported electricity" includes electricity from facilities that contribute to a common system power pool that are allocated to a consumer-owned utility inside the state of Washington pursuant to a methodology approved by the governing board of the consumer-owned utility.
"Leakage" means a reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases within the state that is offset by a directly attributable increase in greenhouse gas emissions outside the state and outside the geography of another jurisdiction with a linkage agreement with Washington.
"Limits" means the greenhouse gas emissions reductions required by RCW 70A.45.020.
"Linkage" means a bilateral or multilateral decision under a linkage agreement between greenhouse gas market programs to accept compliance instruments issued by a participating jurisdiction to meet the obligations of regulated entities in a partner jurisdiction and to otherwise coordinate activities to facilitate operation of a joint market.
"Linkage agreement" means a nonbinding agreement that connects two or more greenhouse gas market programs and articulates a mutual understanding of how the participating jurisdictions will work together to facilitate a connected greenhouse gas market.
"Linked jurisdiction" means a jurisdiction with which Washington has entered into a linkage agreement.
"Multijurisdictional consumer-owned utility" means a consumer-owned utility that provides electricity to member owners in Washington and in one or more other states in a contiguous service territory or from a common power system.
"Multijurisdictional electric company" means an investor-owned utility that provides electricity to customers in Washington and in one or more other states in a contiguous service territory or from a common power system.
"NERC e-tag" means North American electric reliability corporation (NERC) energy tag representing transactions on the North American bulk electricity market scheduled to flow between or across balancing authority areas.
"Offset credit" means a tradable compliance instrument that represents an emissions reduction or emissions removal of one metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent.
"Offset project" means a project that reduces or removes greenhouse gases that are not covered emissions under this chapter.
"Offset protocols" means a set of procedures and standards to quantify greenhouse gas reductions or greenhouse gas removals achieved by an offset project.
"Overburdened community" means a geographic area where vulnerable populations face combined, multiple environmental harms and health impacts or risks due to exposure to environmental pollutants or contaminants through multiple pathways, which may result in significant disparate adverse health outcomes or effects.
"Overburdened community" includes, but is not limited to:
Highly impacted communities as defined in RCW 19.405.020;
Communities located in census tracts that are fully or partially on "Indian country" as defined in 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1151; and
Populations, including Native Americans or immigrant populations, who may be exposed to environmental contaminants and pollutants outside of the geographic area in which they reside based on the populations' use of traditional or cultural foods and practices, such as the use of resources, access to which is protected under treaty rights in ceded areas, when those exposures in conjunction with other exposures may result in disproportionately greater risks, including risks of certain cancers or other adverse health effects and outcomes.
Overburdened communities identified by the department may include the same communities as those identified by the department through its process for identifying overburdened communities under RCW 70A.02.010.
"Person" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 70A.15.2200(5)(h)(iii).
"Point of delivery" means a point on the electricity transmission or distribution system where a deliverer makes electricity available to a receiver, or available to serve load. This point may be an interconnection with another system or a substation where the transmission provider's transmission and distribution systems are connected to another system, or a distribution substation where electricity is imported into the state over a multijurisdictional retail provider's distribution system.
"Price ceiling unit" means the units issued at a fixed price by the department for the purpose of limiting price increases and funding further investments in greenhouse gas reductions.
"Program" means the greenhouse gas emissions cap and invest program created by and implemented pursuant to this chapter.
"Program registry" means the data system in which covered entities, opt-in entities, and general market participants are registered and in which compliance instruments are recorded and tracked.
"Registered entity" means a covered entity, opt-in entity, or general market participant that has completed the process for registration in the program registry.
"Resilience" means the ability to prepare, mitigate and plan for, withstand, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events and changing conditions, and reorganize in an equitable manner that results in a new and better condition.
"Retire" means to permanently remove a compliance instrument such that the compliance instrument may never be sold, traded, or otherwise used again.
"Specified source of electricity" or "specified source" means a facility, unit, or asset controlling supplier that is permitted to be claimed as the source of electricity delivered. The reporting entity must have either full or partial ownership in the facility or a written power contract to procure electricity generated by that facility or unit or from an asset controlling supplier at the time of entry into the transaction to procure electricity.
"Supplier" means a supplier of fuel in Washington state as defined in RCW 70A.15.2200(5)(h)(ii).
"Tribal lands" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 70A.02.010.
"Unspecified source of electricity" or "unspecified source" means a source of electricity that is not a specified source at the time of entry into the transaction to procure electricity.
"Voluntary renewable reserve account" means a holding account maintained by the department from which allowances may be retired for voluntary renewable electricity generation, which is directly delivered to the state and has not and will not be sold or used to meet any other mandatory requirements in the state or any other jurisdiction, on behalf of voluntary renewable energy purchasers or end users.
"Vulnerable populations" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 70A.02.010.