This bill amends existing law by changing RCW 80.50.060 and RCW 42.30.140. It expands and clarifies the types of energy facilities that may opt into Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council certification (adding refined biofuel facilities under 25,000 barrels/day, alternative energy resource facilities, electrical transmission facilities of at least 115,000 volts spanning more than one jurisdiction with land use planning, clean energy product manufacturing facilities, storage facilities, and fusion energy facilities subject to required radiation control authorizations). It also requires the chapter to apply mandatorily to certain very large transmission lines (at least 500,000 VAC or 300,000 VDC) that cross county lines and multiple retail utility service areas, and to facilities in a national interest electric transmission corridor as referenced in RCW 80.50.045. The amendment defines "modification" for high-voltage transmission purposes, lists specific activities that are not modifications, and excludes normal maintenance and repairs that do not increase capacity or dimensions beyond thresholds cited in RCW 80.50.020 (14) and (29). Applications must use council-prescribed forms and include required information and technical studies, and the council chair must notify local legislative authorities, the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP), and relevant federally recognized tribes upon receipt. The bill imposes procedural changes to government-to-government consultation and public process: within 90 days of receiving an application the council chair and staff must offer government-to-government consultation with affected tribes, consultation must occur once tribes have sufficient information and be scheduled consistent with the application review timeline, and a tribe may request council member participation including a meeting with the full council where practicable. Attendance by a quorum at such consultation is explicitly not treated as a meeting under chapter 42.30 RCW provided no deliberation or commitments occur. The council's report to the governor under RCW 80.50.100 must include a consultation summary compliant with RCW 42.56.300; the council must give the tribe the summary before submission and the tribe has 30 days to request corrections or provide its own summary for inclusion. DAHP must coordinate with affected tribes and applicants to assess potential effects to tribal cultural resources, archaeological sites, and sacred sites. The bill thus makes procedural and definitional changes to siting review and tribal consultation; it does not create new criminal penalties or change penalty provisions in the extracted text. Important contextual details are not included in these extracts: the specific capacity or dimension thresholds in RCW 80.50.020 (14) and (29) are not provided; statutory definitions or further detail for terms such as "alternative energy resource facilities," "clean energy product manufacturing facilities," and "storage facilities" are not included; the composition and broader statutory authority of the council are not detailed here; the designated state or federal agencies for radiation control authorizations for fusion facilities are not named; and the full contents and timing requirements of the report to the governor under RCW 80.50.100 and the practical procedures for how consultation is offered and conducted beyond the stated timing are not provided.

If enacted, more kinds of energy projects will face the state siting council’s review: certain large high-voltage transmission lines that cross counties and service areas will be brought under the council’s authority, and a range of facilities — including smaller refined biofuel plants (under 25,000 barrels/day), alternative energy resource facilities, clean energy product manufacturers, storage facilities, and fusion energy sites — can choose to be certified under the council’s process. Project applicants will need to file council-prescribed forms with supporting technical studies, expect formal notice to local governments, the state archaeology office, and affected tribes, and must prepare for government-to-government tribal consultation that the council must offer within 90 days of application and include a consultation summary in its report, with tribes getting 30 days to request changes or supply their own summary. Fusion sites also will need the appropriate radiation control licenses or equivalent approvals from designated agencies. The groups most affected are project developers (who will likely face higher up-front costs for studies, added administrative time to coordinate with local governments and tribes, and potential effects on project schedules), the siting council and its staff (who will have more applications and consultation duties), county and city governments and the state archaeology office (who will receive more notification and review responsibilities), and federally recognized tribes (who gain a guaranteed, timed role in consultation). Routine repairs and minor transmission work remain exempt from being treated as major modifications. Important details that could change how this works in practice — such as exact capacity thresholds referenced elsewhere, precise definitions of the new facility categories, and which agencies issue radiation authorizations for fusion sites — are not included in the extracted text.