HB2470 – Lets utilities use new solid waste to energy plants for some “carbon-neutral” power under the Clean Energy Transformation Act.
Prime Sponsor – Representative Shewmake (D; 42nd District; Whatcom County)
Current status – Referred to the House Committee on Environment and Energy.
Next step would be – Scheduling a hearing.
Legislative tracking page for the bill.

Comments
The findings say that nine of the State’s thirteen landfills, including King County’s, are expected to run out of space and close by 2040, and that waste-to-energy in King County would save $4 billion to $7 billion over fifty years and have lower greenhouse gas emissions than shipping the waste to a landfill by train.

Summary –
Last year’s Clean Energy Transformation Act (the 100% Clean Electricity bill) allowed utilities to provide up to 20% of the requirement for greenhouse gas neutral power after 2030 in a number of ways, including using power from a waste-to-energy plant constructed before 1992. (This meant the plant in Spokane.) This bill allows them to use power from new plants, under the same conditions. (The Department of Ecology and the Department of Commerce have to do a life-cycle analysis that concludes this would provide a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to best practice management of the waste in the jurisdiction through any other available methods, including waste reduction, recycling, composting, and minimizing the use of a landfill. The plants also have be operated in compliance with federal laws and regulations and meet state air quality standards.)

It also allows a utility to get up to 10% of its power from a plant meeting these conditions after 2045, when the law says 100% of the State’s electricity is supposed to come from nonemitting electric generation and renewable resources.