Incentivizing grid-connected residential battery energy storage systems.
What changed between versions
Updated the definition of 'residential battery energy storage system' to explicitly require it serve a residential customer and support utility demand management, and refined the 'time-of-use rate' definition to clarify consumer benefits.
Changed the requirement for time-of-use rates to allow customers to be optional customer-generators rather than mandating they own batteries, and clarified that expenses must lower customers' total annual light and power expenses.
Added a new requirement that utilities must have both incentive payments and associated expenses in the same year to claim a tax credit, ensuring the program is not just a cash giveaway.
Transferred oversight authority from the Department of Revenue to the Washington State University extension energy program for evaluating applications, issuing certifications, and auditing records.
Replaced the Department of Revenue with the Washington State University extension energy program as the entity responsible for notifying the state if a utility fails to provide required data.
Corrected a clerical error in the tax preference performance statement by changing the reference from 'chapter . . .' to 'section 4 of this act'.
