Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission

• Mar 3, 2025

  Brian RybarikAppointment · Chair

  Gov. Bob Ferguson appointed ex-Microsoft sustainability executive Brian Rybarik as UTC Chair, replacing David Danner who retired in December 2024; Rybarik brings 20 years of energy regulatory experience.

Address

621 Woodland Square Loop SE, Lacey, WA 98503

Phone

(360) 664-1160Fax (360) 586-1150

Website

utc.wa.gov ↗

Utility landscape

• Puget Sound Energy IOU

  Puget Sound region including King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kittitas, and surrounding counties; largest IOU in Washington serving ~1.1 million electric and ~800,000 gas customers

  PSE filed a major electric and gas rate case in 2024 seeking substantial revenue increases tied to grid hardening and wildfire mitigation investments; UTC approved a partial settlement with ongoing scrutiny of capital expenditure prudency and its Voluntary Green Power program transition commitments.

• Pacific Power (PacifiCorp) IOU

  Southwest Washington including Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat counties; multistate IOU regulated in six states

  PacifiCorp faces heightened UTC scrutiny following Oregon and California wildfire liability exposure; Washington docket activity has focused on cost allocation of wildfire-related expenses and the Clean Energy Transformation Act compliance pathway in its integrated resource plan.

• Avista Corporation IOU

  Eastern Washington including Spokane, Stevens, and Whitman counties; also serves portions of northern Idaho

  Avista received UTC approval of a 2024 electric rate increase emphasizing infrastructure modernization and gas system integrity; the commission has closely examined Avista's natural gas long-term planning given Washington's greenhouse gas reduction mandates under CETA and HB 1181.

• Cascade Natural Gas (a Puget Energy subsidiary) IOU

  Serves natural gas customers across multiple Washington counties including Yakima, Benton, Franklin, and coastal areas not served by PSE

  Cascade faces ongoing UTC docket activity around gas system decarbonization planning and building electrification policy implications; recent rate proceedings have flagged concerns about stranded asset risk as Washington pursues aggressive carbon reduction timelines.

• Inland Power & Light coop

  Rural eastern Washington counties including Spokane, Lincoln, Stevens, and Ferry counties; serves approximately 45,000 members

  As a cooperative, Inland Power is subject to limited UTC jurisdiction but has engaged with state energy office proceedings on demand-side management and broadband deployment over utility infrastructure corridors in underserved rural areas.

• Seattle City Light muni

  City of Seattle and portions of adjacent jurisdictions; serves approximately 450,000 customers with primarily hydroelectric supply

  Seattle City Light operates outside UTC rate jurisdiction as a municipal utility but participates in state-level proceedings on wholesale market rules, transmission access, and CETA compliance reporting; its 2025-2026 biennial rate adjustment drew significant Seattle City Council scrutiny over low-income program funding adequacy.

Key issues

• Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) compliance planning: IOUs are required to eliminate coal from their resource mix by 2025 and achieve 100% clean electricity by 2045; UTC is actively reviewing IRP filings from PSE, Avista, and PacifiCorp for adequacy of transition pathways, resource adequacy buffers, and demand forecast assumptions amid accelerating electrification load growth.
• Natural gas long-term viability and stranded asset risk: UTC has opened proceedings examining whether gas distribution infrastructure investments are prudent given state building performance standards and potential demand erosion; Cascade Natural Gas and PSE gas operations face pressure to demonstrate that new capital expenditures will not result in costs stranded on ratepayers as electrification policies take effect.
• Wildfire mitigation cost recovery: PacifiCorp's multistate wildfire liability exposure and PSE's expanding wildfire risk in Cascade foothills have prompted UTC to develop a cost recovery framework distinguishing prudent mitigation capex from liability-related expenses; commission staff are scrutinizing vegetation management program scope and insurance cost pass-through requests.
• Grid modernization and advanced metering infrastructure deployment: PSE's pending AMI buildout and associated data privacy, cybersecurity, and low-income access issues are under active UTC review; the commission is developing updated rules on customer data rights and third-party access consistent with federal FERC Order 2222 distributed energy resource aggregation requirements.
• Broadband over utility infrastructure and right-of-way policy: Washington UTC and the state broadband office are coordinating on utility pole attachment rates and conduit-sharing arrangements to accelerate last-mile broadband deployment in rural eastern Washington; dockets involving Avista and Inland Power pole attachment tariff revisions are pending resolution.

Upcoming

• 2026-09-15

  Estimated deadline for UTC commission decision in Puget Sound Energy electric general rate case Docket UE-240xxx; order expected to address capital cost recovery for grid hardening, demand response program funding, and low-income assistance program sizing following evidentiary hearings completed in mid-2026.

• 2026-10-01

  Estimated filing deadline for Avista Corporation's next integrated resource plan update required under UTC rules; filing expected to address CETA-compliant resource mix scenarios, natural gas transition strategy, and demand forecast revisions incorporating Washington electrification building code impacts.

• 2026-11-18

  Estimated UTC en banc oral argument on proposed rulemaking for natural gas utility long-term planning and stranded asset allocation methodology; proceeding initiated in response to legislative direction in 2025 session and will establish framework applicable to Cascade Natural Gas and PSE gas operations rate proceedings.

• 2027-01-30

  Estimated effective date for UTC final order on updated pole attachment and conduit access tariff rules applicable to Avista and other investor-owned utilities; order will set rates and access procedures governing broadband provider attachments and is expected to draw comments from wireless carriers, rural electric cooperatives, and municipal broadband advocates.