wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 2296 > Passed Legislature
The commission must allow an electrical or natural gas company to invest in programs that achieve energy conservation and improve the efficiency of energy end use of single-family and multifamily rental housing in lieu of requiring a contribution from the premises owner to finance measures that would be cost-effective in the aggregate. The commission may allow the company to earn a return on cost-effective investments made under this section over a duration of time that reduces the customer's energy burden and minimizes the investment's impact on the customer's bill while providing a return on equity that incentivizes the company to make such an investment.
The electrical or natural gas company shall prioritize investments made under this section on single-family and multifamily rental housing to reduce the energy burden of low-income customers, vulnerable populations, and customers in highly impacted communities while meeting the customer's comfort and productivity needs.
Investments made under this section must be secured through the meter and recovered through the regular billing paid by the tenant, including any successor tenant, or owner of the premises. If the bill is paid by the premises' owner, the company's investment must be recovered pursuant to a site-specific services agreement. The investment must be recovered as any other energy charge, including being subject to collection, until the authorized return on the investment has been fully recovered. An investment made under this section must be designated as an "energy savings charge" as a line item on the regular customer billing.
The electrical or natural gas company shall provide the premises owner sufficient information for the owner to provide a tenant who is responsible for paying the electric or gas bill as required under this subsection. At least 30 days prior to the commencement of work to install conservation measures at the premises, the premises owner shall notify a tenant of the owner's authorization for an electrical or gas company to install conservation measures at the premises inhabited by the tenant under a financial arrangement provided under this section. The notice must include a description of the work to be performed and the expected benefits of the conservation measures.
The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
"Cost-effective" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 80.52.030.
"Energy burden" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.405.020.
"Highly impacted community" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.405.020.
"Low-income" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.405.020.
"Vulnerable populations" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.405.020.