Washington Adopts Rules for Emissions Performance Standard
On June 19, 2008, the Washington Department of Ecology completed rulemaking for the adoption of a statewide Emissions Performance Standard (EPS) established in 2007 as part of a broader legislative package designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The EPS will go into effect on July 19, 2008.
The EPS requires baseload electricity generation facilities to meet a greenhouse gas emission limit of 1,100 pounds of CO2 per megawatt hour. This limit will be reviewed and adjusted every five years to match the average emissions rate of new combined-cycle natural gas power plants. The EPS applies both to new in-state baseload electric generation and to out-of-state generation imported under long-term contracts that begin on July 1, 2008 or later. The EPS does not apply to permanently sequestered emissions.