Senate Bill 5515 establishes a regulatory framework for community solar in Washington by adding new sections to chapter 80.28 RCW and amending RCW 80.28.370, 80.28.375, and RCW 82.16.182. It directs the Utilities and Transportation Commission to update and adopt rules within 18 months, host workshops and a stakeholder working group, and create a community solar bill credit valuation methodology (Sec. 5) that recognizes multiple grid, environmental, and local values, provides extra value for preferred sites, tribal benefits, or storage, and includes an annual escalator. The bill sets program and project requirements (project capacity limits, subscriber minimums and concentration limits, at least 50% residential and at least 30% low-income/low-income service provider subscription composition), defines key terms (community solar bill credit, project manager, subscription manager, preferred sites, net-crediting, low-income), and prescribes consumer protections such as standardized disclosures and prohibitions on upfront sign-on fees, credit checks, and early termination charges. The bill creates registration, reporting, and operational duties for community solar project managers and subscription managers, requiring business licenses, commission registration on prescribed forms, proof of insurance, potential performance bonds, and annual reporting. The commission must act on registration applications within 45 days, may deny or suspend registration after hearing, may assess regulatory fees and penalties under chapter 80.04 RCW, and treats violations as unfair or deceptive acts under the consumer protection act (chapter 19.86 RCW). Billing and administrative rules require investor-owned utilities to allow subscription portability within a territory, apply monthly credits on the following billing cycle, remit subscription fees within 60 days of generation, and limit net-crediting fees to 1% of the subscription fee unless the commission approves a higher amount; low-income allocations are exempt from program administrative fees for a project’s lifetime. The bill also amends RCW 82.16.182 to allow a one-time certification and incentive payment to utilities for billing system upgrades (caps of $1,000,000 per investor-owned utility and $250,000 per consumer-owned utility), allows storage with a solar energy system, defines administrators and qualifying subscribers, sets a smaller project size definition (199 kW) for certain incentives, and makes that section expire June 30, 2038. The commission must review the program and report to the legislature at least once five years after the effective date and then every ten years. Important details are missing or incomplete in the extracted text: the full texts of sections referenced (notably the full valuation methodology in Sec. 5 and some registration items for subscription managers), any act effective date, and the exact amended language of RCW 80.28.375 and other cross-references are not provided here.

If enacted, the bill creates a structured community solar program that will require the Utilities and Transportation Commission to set detailed rules on how community solar projects are certified, how subscribers are billed and credited, and how values from those projects are calculated so projects can attract financing. Utilities will need to implement net-crediting on customer bills, remit subscription payments within 60 days of generation, and allow subscription transfers within the same service territory; investor-owned utilities can charge a small net-crediting fee capped at 1%. Community solar developers and subscription managers must register, carry insurance, and meet consumer protection rules (no upfront sign-on fees or credit checks for residential subscribers, standardized disclosures, and no early termination charges), while projects must meet size, subscriber composition, and low-income participation requirements and retire renewable energy credits on behalf of subscribers. The immediate effects are likely increased administrative and compliance tasks and some upfront costs for utilities and project managers (billing upgrades, registration, possible performance bonds), a capped one-time incentive for utilities to upgrade billing systems ($1,000,000 per investor-owned utility and $250,000 per consumer-owned utility), and limits on revenue from program administrative fees for low-income allocations. Low-income households, service providers, and tribal communities are more likely to gain access and additional valuation benefits, while developers face stricter registration and potential penalties for violations. The bill leaves some implementation details and timing unclear in the provided text (for example full valuation formulas, final rule timing beyond general deadlines, and some registration specifics), so exact cost and operational impacts will depend on the commission’s forthcoming rules.