(1) The department, in cooperation with public agencies, shall investigate opportunities to aggregate the purchase of clean technologies with other public agencies to determine whether or not combined purchasing can reduce the unit cost of clean technologies.

(2) State agencies that are retail electric customers shall investigate opportunities to aggregate the purchase of electricity produced from generation resources that are fueled by wind or solar energy for their facilities located within a single utility’s service area, to determine whether or not combined purchasing can reduce the unit cost of those resources.

(3) No public agency is required under this section to purchase clean technologies at prohibitive costs.

(4)(a) “Electric utility” shall have the same meaning as provided under RCW 19.29A.010.

(b) “Clean technology” includes, but may not be limited to, alternative fueled hybrid-electric and fuel cell vehicles, and distributive power generation.

(c) “Distributive power generation” means the generation of electricity from an integrated or stand-alone power plant that generates electricity from wind energy, solar energy, or fuel cells.

(d) “Retail electric customer” shall have the same meaning as provided under RCW 19.29A.010.

(e) “Facility” means any building owned or leased by a public agency.

Effective date—Purpose—2011 1st sp.s. c 43: See notes following RCW 43.19.003.