Goehner-sponsored bipartisan bill would streamline procurement for PUD, allow internal work

WENATCHEE — As Chelan County Public Utility District prepares for a future that will require faster construction of energy infrastructure, district leaders say a bipartisan bill moving through the Washington Legislature could reduce delays created by long-standing procurement rules.

During a legislative update at the PUD’s Feb. 2 meeting, Government Affairs Program Manager Kelli Scott highlighted Senate Bill 6076, which the district supports because it would expand the circumstances under which consumer-owned utilities can use in-house crews rather than being required to contract work out once certain cost thresholds are crossed.

“6076 is one that we really support,” Scott said. “We’re really grateful for Senator Goehner for introducing this. It would make the contracting and procurement process for energy development easier for PUDs. It would increase project and labor limits for projects that would require outside contracting, which would allow us to do more work with in-house PUD employees.”

SB 6076 is sponsored by Sen. Keith Goehner of the 12th District, which includes Chelan County, and is co-sponsored by Sens. Jesse Salomon, Liz Lovelett, and Rebecca Saldaña. The bill cleared its first legislative cutoff after passing committee last week.

“It passed the committee last week it needed to pass so it has survived the first cutoff, which we’re happy to see, and we continue to support that bill,” Scott said.

At its core, SB 6076 would update state law governing how public utilities purchase materials and perform labor for certain energy-related projects, including generation, transmission, distribution, and storage. Under current law, relatively low dollar thresholds can trigger formal competitive bidding requirements even when utilities already have qualified internal crews available to do the work.

Chelan PUD officials say the bill would give locally elected utility boards more discretion to determine when outside contractors are necessary, while still maintaining existing oversight and accountability requirements.

During the same meeting, commissioners discussed recent change orders related to dam maintenance and modernization work, including the expansion of a mechanical site labor contract over multiple years as the district has taken on more work internally. PUD staff said the approach has allowed in-house crews to develop specialized expertise while reserving contractors for highly specialized tasks.

Commissioners also heard an update on regional power supply challenges, including projections that the Pacific Northwest could face a significant capacity shortfall during extreme conditions later this decade. PUD staff said meeting future demand will require both new resources and the ability to complete infrastructure projects more quickly.

Chelan PUD officials emphasized that SB 6076 would not eliminate competitive bidding or accountability requirements, but instead adjust thresholds and processes that were written decades ago and no longer reflect the scale or pace of modern utility work.

If approved, district leaders say the bill would give utilities additional flexibility to deploy their workforce efficiently as they work to expand and reinforce the electric system while managing costs for ratepayers.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media