WAC 173-407-300   Procedures for determining the emissions performance standard of a long-term financial commitment and addressing electricity from unspecified sources and specified sources under Part II.  (1) The following procedures are adopted by the department to be utilized by the department under RCW 80.80.060 and to be available to and utilized by the governing boards of consumer-owned utilities pursuant to RCW 80.80.070 when evaluating a potential long-term financial commitment when the long-term financial commitment includes electricity from unspecified sources, electricity from one or more specified sources, and/or provisions to meet load growth with electricity from unspecified and/or specified sources.

     (2) For each year of a long-term financial commitment for electric power, the regulated greenhouse gases emissions from specified and unspecified sources of power are not to exceed the emissions performance standard in WAC 173-407-130(1), in effect on the date the long-term contract is executed. The emissions performance standard for a long-term financial commitment for electricity that includes electricity from specified and unspecified sources is calculated using a time-weighted average of all sources of generation and emissions in the years in which they are contributing electricity and emissions in the commitment. Each source's proportional contribution to emissions per each MWh delivered under the contract is added together and summed for each year and divided by the number of years in the term of the commitment.

     (3) An extension of an existing long-term financial commitment is treated as a new commitment, not an extension of an existing commitment.

     (4) Annual and lifetime calculations of greenhouse gases emissions.

     (a) The annual average emissions shall be calculated, for every year of the contract, using the formula in subsection (5) of this section. The calculation of the pounds of greenhouse gases per megawatt-hour is based upon the delivered electricity, including the portion from specified and unspecified sources, of the total portfolio for the year for which the calculation is being made.

     (b) The average greenhouse gases emissions per MWh of the power supply portfolio over the life of the long-term financial commitment is compared to the emissions performance standard. The calculation of the pounds of greenhouse gases per MWh is based on the expected annual delivery contracted or expected to be supplied by each specified and unspecified source's portion of the total portfolio of electricity to be provided under the contract for the year for which the calculation is being made.

     (c) Default values adopted in this procedure shall be used for each source unless actual emissions are known or specified by the manufacturer. A default greenhouse gases emissions value of an average pulverized coal plant per WAC 173-407-300 (5)(b) shall be used for unspecified sources in the procedure.

     (5) The annual average calculation shall be performed using the regulated greenhouse gases emissions factors as follows:

     (a) For a specified source, utilize the manufacturer's emissions specification or the measured emission rate for a specified generator. When there is no available information on greenhouse gases emissions from a specified source, utilize the following:

     (i) Combined cycle combustion turbines that begin operation after July 1, 2008 = 1,100 lbs/MWh or as updated by rule in 2012 and every five years thereafter.

     (ii) Steam turbines using pulverized coal = 2,600 lbs/MWh minus the amount of greenhouse gases permanently sequestered by the facility on an annual basis divided by the MWhs generated that year.

     (iii) Integrated gasification combined cycle turbines = 1,800 lbs/MWh minus the amount of greenhouse gases permanently sequestered by the facility on an annual basis divided by the MWhs generated that year.

     (iv) Simple cycle combustion turbines = 1,800 lbs/MWh minus the amount of greenhouse gases permanently sequestered by the facility on an annual basis divided by the MWhs generated that year.

     (v) Combined cycle combustion turbines that begin operation before July 1, 2008 = 1,100 lbs/MWh.

     (b) Electricity from unspecified sources = 2,600 lbs/MWh.

     (c) Renewable resources = 0 lbs/MWh.


Example Calculation
AE = (F1 x MWh1) + (F2 x MWh2) + (F3MWh3) +... (Fn x MWhn)
            Total MWh        

where:


AE = Average emissions in lb/MWh
F = Regulated greenhouse gases emissions factor in lb/MWh
MWh = Total MWh purchased or generated by the utility's own generation capacity during the year
Total MWh = Total MWh from all source types for that year




[Statutory Authority: Chapter 80.80 RCW. 08-14-011 (Order 07-11), § 173-407-300, filed 6/19/08, effective 7/20/08.]