UTC Equity Docket

Background

In 2023, Commissioners and staff at UTC began implementing a multi-year plan to help address energy justice and integrate equity work throughout commission procedures. 

The equity docket provides resources for regulated energy companies to help them create equity action plans and increase collaboration with impacted communities throughout processes. Through this work, regulated companies will assist in developing guidance for creating equitable solutions for customers and communities.  

The project includes four phases to explore distributional, procedural, recognition and restorative justice and is scheduled to finish in 2025. The first phase explores procedural justice. During this phase, staff and interested parties will focus on analyzing decision-making processes to help ensure that proceedings are fair and inclusive for participants.

Final products will include a UTC equity policy statement and action plans. The outcomes of the equity docket work and the policy statement will be applied and adapted to other regulated industries in the future.

Phase One: Procedural Justice

Why is procedural justice important?

• It identifies who is and is not at the decision-making table and promotes diverse representation of impacted communities and vulnerable populations among decision makers and regulated companies

How does this impact the companies we regulate?

• Enhances equitable outcomes by seeking and incorporating the voices of historically marginalized communities into regulated company decision making.

How does this impact consumers/ratepayers?

• Ensures those directly impacted by the decisions are heard throughout the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs, services, rates, and policies.

How does procedural justice impact the next steps of the Equity Docket? 

• Adopts policies, programs, and strategies to shift existing systems and processes for long term, transformative change for equitable outcomes.

Submit written comment

Commissioners are asking the public for comments in response to the following questions:

• What procedural justice considerations would you like to see discussed?
• What element(s) of procedural justice are most important to you?

The commission is also asking the public to provide comments about their interpretations of procedural justice and ideas about how to implement procedural justice. 

File all written comments by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 28

Submit written comments through the UTC’s website at www.utc.wa.gov/e-filing or contact records@utc.wa.gov for more information.

Written comments must include:

• Docket Number (Docket A-230217).
• Your name, including any organization you are representing.
• The title and date of the comment or comments.