Utilities and Transportation Comm - Current Law
RCW 80, 81, 19.122
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) regulates the rates and services of the state’s investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities, landline telephone companies, solid waste haulers, private water systems, marine pilotage, oil pipelines, household goods movers, commercial ferries, and passenger transportation carriers. The commission also regulates the safety of pipelines, railroad carriers, railroad-highway grade crossings, and buses. The commission protects consumers by ensuring that these services are safe, equitable, available, reliable, and fairly priced. The agency carefully balances the interests of regulated companies with the interests of the consumers in Washington who pay in excess of $19 billion annually for these services. The commission investigates consumer complaints and conducts compliance investigations into companies’ business practices to ensure regulated companies treat consumers fairly and that these companies are in compliance with state laws and commission rules.
Agency Mission
The UTC protects consumers by ensuring that investor-owned utility and transportation services are safe, equitable, available, reliable, and fairly priced.
| Request | 81,643,000 |
|---|---|
| Net change from current biennium | 4,774,000 Increase |
| Percent change from current biennium | 6.2% Increase |
Operating Budget: Summary
Appropriated Funds
| 2023-25 Appropriations | Appropriated Funds | Expenditures | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Estimated Balance | 2021-23 Actual | 2023-25 Estimated | 2025-27 Proposed | |
| 100,000 | Public Service Revolving Account - Federal | 63,460 | 100,000 | 100,000 | |
| 3,404,000 | Pipeline Safety Account - Federal | 2,979,565 | 3,404,000 | 3,503,000 | |
| General Fund - Private/Local | 4,878,457 | ||||
| Industrial Insurance Premium Refund - Nonappropriated | 2,000 | ||||
| Damage Prevention Account - Nonappropriated | 224,901 | ||||
| Universal Communications Services - Nonappropriated | 9,932,782 | ||||
| 2,477,000 | General Fund - State | 527,603 | 2,477,000 | 2,402,000 | |
| 150,000 | Pilotage Account - State | 150,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 | |
| 504,000 | Grade Crossing Protective Account - State | 367,133 | 504,000 | 504,000 | |
| 66,445,000 | Public Service Revolving Account - State | 36,707,718 | 66,445,000 | 71,122,000 | |
| Multimodal Transportation Account - State | 217,252 | ||||
| 3,789,000 | Pipeline Safety Account - State | 1,939,773 | 3,789,000 | 3,862,000 | |
| 76,869,000 | Total Appropriated Funds | 57,990,642 | 76,869,000 | 81,643,000 | |
Non-Appropriated Funds
Operating Budget: Program Summary
| Program Title | Actual | Estimated | Proposed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actual | Estimated | Estimated | Proposed | Proposed | |
| Annual Total | 26,581,643 | 29,348,926 | 11,037,821 | 43,516,000 | 38,127,000 |
Operating Budget: Change from Preceding Biennium
| Actual | Estimated | Proposed | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Percent | Amount | Percent | Amount | Percent |
| (2,474,045) | (4.1%) | (17,603,895) | (30.4%) | 41,256,253 | 102.2% |
Employment Summary
| Actual | Estimated | Proposed | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 Actual | 2023-24 Estimated | 2024-25 Estimated | 2025-26 Proposed | 2026-27 Proposed | |
| FTE Staff Years | 132.9 | 143.6 | 158.6 | 215.9 | 221.7 |
