the film forum library tutorial contact

Senate Passes Energy Measure by Angela Galloway, Capitol Correspondent Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 15, 2001

Bill would pave way for power companies to boost generation, proponents say

OLYMPIA -- Mindful of the regional energy woes that brought rolling blackouts to California, the state Senate yesterday passed a bill that would allow companies to more easily build power generators.

"Growth in generation has not kept up with growth in demand," said Sen. Karen Fraser, D-Lacey, who sponsored SB5912.

Yesterday evening was the deadline for each legislative chamber to pass its own bills, except for major budget measures. The Senate made sure its last bill before deadline was the energy measure.

SB5913 would raise the threshold for review by the state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, thus allowing more generators to go on line by avoiding a process that some complain is inefficient and too heavily weighted toward environmental concerns at the expense of economic stability.

The measure passed 41-8, with only one Republican opponent. Sunnyside Sen. Jim Honeyford said he voted against the bill to indicate his opinion it needs more work.

At the very least, the bill's backers said, the measure would allow for more generation by companies that have been skimming their production by to avoid EFSEC review.

Current law states that generators producing 250 or more megawatts of electricity must be approved by the state council. Some generators are producing a few megawatts less to avoid that review. The measure would bump the threshold to 350 megawatts, although they'd still need other permits. Encouraging those generators to run at full steam, said Orient Republican Sen. Bob Morton, could add up to between 100 and 150 more megawatts of generation.

"That would be one of the most positive aspects of this bill," Morton said.

But Sen. Julia Patterson, D-SeaTac, said she worries that the measure does not guarantee environmental protections.

"I know that this bill is necessary," said Patterson, who has campaigned for better airport-noise mitigation, "but I also know what it's like to be living in the vicinity of something like this."

In earlier action, Senate Democrats used their one-vote majority to squeeze through another energy-related measure. SB6027 would require utilities and industrial electricity generators to broaden their dependency to alternative sources. It would mandate that over the next decade, more electricity be generated through wind, solar and other renewable sources in addition to hydropower.

"If you talk to a good investment adviser, (they will say) you should have a variety of investments," said Fraser, who sponsored the bill. "And the same is true for energy resources."

But Republicans said the measure, which faces a tough fight in the House, is too demanding of utilities.