The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission on Dec. 31 issued a notice seeking comments on a draft rule for competitive resource acquisition by utilities. The proposal is a result of stakeholder workshops and public comment processes since the commission unveiled a proposal in 2016 to examine whether rules governing the integrated resource plan and utility bidding processes should be revised to keep pace with trends in the energy industry.

Among other things, the proposal seeks to improve transparency and fairness of the bidding process and clarify the criteria for utility self-build resources. The revisions would differentiate the requirements for various resources, encourage technology-neutral solicitations, and incorporate independent assessments in certain situations. The most recent draft provides more details on the role of the independent evaluator, and allows changes to the method used for ranking projects depending on the solicitation process. The revision specifies procurement rules for conservation and explains when utilities may be exempt from the competitive process.

Last October, Washington regulators directed investor-owned utilities to include energy storage to meet future requirements and outlined a framework to guide the rulemaking for integrated resource plans.

Comments on the proposal are due by Jan. 31.