House Bill 1253, discussed in the Environment & Energy Committee, would expand the range of entities that consumer‑owned electric utilities may partner with to develop, own, finance and operate electric generating and transmission facilities. The bill would explicitly permit joint venture and limited liability company agreements and would include renewable generation and energy storage among eligible projects.

Sponsor Representative Barra said the change responds to rapidly growing electricity demand and the long lead times and permitting challenges for transmission. "We need more energy as we electrify our grid," he told the committee, adding that the bill would let public utility districts and other consumer‑owned utilities partner with industrial customers or private developers to bring generation closer to load when transmission is costly or slow to build.

Nicholas Garcia of the Washington Public Utility District Association testified in support, saying the bill helps local utilities share the financial and operational risks of new generation and protect customers as new loads emerge. Seattle City Light’s power supply officer Siobhan Doherty also supported the bill, telling lawmakers the measure will help utilities leverage federal incentives such as the Inflation Reduction Act’s direct‑pay option for public power projects and allow collaboration on batteries, solar and other resources.

Grant County PUD’s chief commercial officer described a local example of accelerating demand: the utility has multiple new service applications that collectively represent roughly three times its recent system peak, and the PUD sees the authority established by HB 1253 as one tool to respond to rapid industrial growth.

All three public power witnesses said HB 1253 would not by itself solve all resource or transmission constraints, but would give consumer‑owned utilities more flexibility to craft project partnerships and share costs and risks. The committee received no testimony in opposition at the hearing and took no formal vote.