RCW 54.04.190 Production and distribution of biodiesel, ethanol, and ethanol blend fuels—Crop purchase contracts for dedicated energy crops—Production and utilization of renewable natural gas and renewable hydrogen—Sale of renewable natural gas or renewable hydrogen.

(1) In addition to any other authority provided by law, public utility districts are authorized to produce and distribute biodiesel, ethanol, and ethanol blend fuels, including entering into crop purchase contracts for a dedicated energy crop for the purpose of generating electricity or producing biodiesel produced from Washington feedstocks, cellulosic ethanol, and cellulosic ethanol blend fuels for use in internal operations of the electric utility and for sale or distribution.

(2) In addition to any other authority provided by law:

(a) Public utility districts are authorized to produce renewable natural gas and renewable hydrogen and utilize the renewable natural gas or renewable hydrogen they produce for internal operations.

(b) Public utility districts may sell renewable natural gas or renewable hydrogen that is delivered into a gas transmission pipeline located in the state of Washington or delivered in pressurized containers:

(i) At wholesale;

(ii) To an end-use customer; or

(iii) If delivered in a pressurized container, or if the end-use customer takes delivery of the renewable natural gas or renewable hydrogen through a pipeline, and the end-use customer is an eligible purchaser of natural gas from sellers other than the gas company from which that end-use customer takes transportation service and:

(A) When the sale is made to an end-use customer in the state of Washington, the sale is made pursuant to a transportation tariff approved by the Washington utilities and transportation commission; or

(B) When the sale to an end-use customer is made outside of the state of Washington, the sale is made pursuant to a transportation tariff approved by the state agency which regulates retail sales of natural gas.

(c) Public utility districts may sell renewable natural gas or renewable hydrogen at wholesale or to an end-use customer through a pipeline directly from renewable natural gas or renewable hydrogen production facilities to facilities that compress, liquefy, or dispense compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, or renewable hydrogen fuel for end use as a transportation fuel.

(d) Public utility districts may sell renewable hydrogen at wholesale or to an end-use customer in pressurized containers directly from renewable hydrogen production facilities to facilities that utilize renewable hydrogen as a nonutility related input for a manufacturing process.

(3) Except as provided in subsection (2)(b)(iii) of this section, nothing in this section authorizes a public utility district to sell renewable natural gas or renewable hydrogen delivered by pipeline to an end-use customer of a gas company.

(4)(a) Except as provided in this subsection (4), nothing in this section authorizes a public utility district to own or operate natural gas distribution pipeline systems used to serve retail customers.

(b) For the purposes of subsection (2)(b) of this section, public utility districts are authorized to own and operate interconnection pipelines that connect renewable natural gas or renewable hydrogen production facilities to gas transmission pipelines.

(c) For the purposes of subsection (2)(c) of this section, public utility districts may own and/or operate pipelines to supply, and/or compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, or renewable hydrogen facilities to provide, renewable natural gas or renewable hydrogen for end use as a transportation fuel if all such pipelines and facilities are located in the county in which the public utility district is authorized to provide utility service.

(5) Exercise of the authorities granted under this section to public utility districts does not subject them to the jurisdiction of the utilities and transportation commission, except that public utility districts are subject only to administration and enforcement by the commission of state and federal requirements related to pipeline safety and fees payable to the commission that are applicable to such administration and enforcement.

(6) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(a) "Renewable natural gas" means a gas consisting largely of methane and other hydrocarbons derived from the decomposition of organic material in landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, and anaerobic digesters.

(b) "Renewable hydrogen" means hydrogen produced using renewable resources both as the source for the hydrogen and the source for the energy input into the production process.

(c) "Renewable resource" means: (i) Water; (ii) wind; (iii) solar energy; (iv) geothermal energy; (v) renewable natural gas; (vi) renewable hydrogen; (vii) wave, ocean, or tidal power; (viii) biodiesel fuel that is not derived from crops raised on land cleared from old growth or first growth forests; or (ix) biomass energy.

(d) "Gas company" has the same meaning as in RCW 80.04.010.

[ 2019 c 24 § 1; 2015 c 31 § 1; 2007 c 348 § 210.]

NOTES:

Findings—2007 c 348: See RCW 43.325.005.