HB2819 – Expedites a pumped storage project by designating them as projects of statewide significance.
Prime Sponsor – Representative Mosbrucker (R; 14th District; Klickitat County)
Current status – Referred to the Governor for signature.
In the House – (Passed the House)
Had a hearing in the House Committee on Environment & Energy February 3rd. Passed out of committee February 4th; referred to Rules. Amended on the floor and passed by the House February 18th.

In the Senate – (Passed the Senate)
Referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks; had a hearing and passed out of committee February 25th. Referred to Rules. Passed the Senate March 6th.
Next step would be – Signature by the Governor.
Legislative tracking page for the bill.
SB6578 is a companion bill in the Senate.

Comments –
In 2012 SB6044 slightly expanded the powers of PUDs along the Columbia by authorizing them to sell water to privately owned utilities for use in pumped storage projects, and to sell power from such projects. FERC recently approved a  permit authorizing a three year study for a 1,200 MW pumped storage project that National Grid wants to build in Goldendale, using water supplied by the Klickitat County PUD. According to that linked article, “The project would be on land owned by NSC Smelter at the former Columbia Gorge Aluminum smelter site, which is designated a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act contaminated site and subject to a cleanup effort being overseen by the Washington Department of Ecology. However, the department has said the pumped storage project will not hinder the cleanup process. … The commission also said the pumped-storage developer has shown its project boundary does not include any land subject to further cleanup activities. Still, FERC said the developer will have to show any future licensing for the project will not impede the cleanup.”

The floor amendment changed current law to require counties and cities with development projects of statewide significance to create a plan for consultation with affected tribes as part of the approval process.

Summary –
The bill would make pumped storage projects using water rights approved by the legislature for that purpose developments of statewide significance, which require:
(1) Expedited permit processing for the design and construction of the project;
(2) Expedited environmental review processing;
(3) Expedited processing of requests for street, right-of-way, or easement vacations necessary for the construction of the project;
(4) Participation of local officials on the team assembled under the requirements of RCW 43.157.030(2)(b); and
(5) Such other actions or items as are deemed necessary by the office of regulatory assistance for the design and construction of the project.