Legislative

Two lineworkers working on a utility pole high above a canyon, with rugged hills and a winding river in the background.

Officials gathered in a conference room.

Utility workers conducting a high-voltage safety demonstration indoors.

Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association 2025 Legislative Priorities

The Washington Rural Electric Coop Association is committed to addressing the critical issues that impact our members and the broader community. This document outlines our legislative priorities for 2025, focusing on key areas of concern such as resource adequacy, wildfire liability, and regulatory overreach. Our goal is to engage with policymakers, advocate for effective solutions, and ensure the continued reliability, affordability, and sustainability of our electrical services.

Top Three 2025 Legislative Priorities

1. Resource Adequacy

As the state moves toward its goal of becoming 100% carbon-free, WRECA strongly encourages legislators and policy makers to consider all options when advocating for and deciding on clean energy resources. With the state and nation moving toward electrifying the transportation industry, even with the resources we have now, we don’t have enough power or capacity to meet the upcoming demand.

Washington’s hydropower system – including the lower Snake River dams, must remain in place.
Wind and solar power cannot be the primary source of power as it is only an intermittent energy producer.
WRECA strongly urges the state to avoid rolling blackouts, which are imminent if wind and solar become the primary source of energy production.

2. Wildfire Liability

We support additional funding for grid modernization and upgrades.
We support legislation providing liability protection for utilities with an approved wildfire plan that have executed and have been found to be in compliance with said plan.

3. Regulatory Overreach

The current regulatory paperwork burden affects operational efficiency and diverts resources away from critical service improvement projects. It also creates inconsistencies and redundancies where utilities are reporting the same or similar data to multiple agencies and those agencies are not communicating.

Analyze existing regulatory paperwork burden and identify where reporting could be streamlined.
Protect against additional overreach and burden on utilities.

Topline Messages:

WRECA supports Washington’s transition to a clean economy and the goals contained in CETA and the CCA.
Our 11 members serve over 270,000 customers today covering 25% of the state’s landmass with 97% clean and renewable power.
Our goal is to help policymakers chart a successful path for the transition that prioritizes adequacy so our economy can continue to thrive, reliability so our services can remain uninterrupted, and affordability so our members can live comfortably in Washington state.