(1) In consultation with the department, the utilities and transportation commission, and the department of agriculture, the department of commerce must develop a periodic fuel supply forecast to project the availability of fuels to Washington necessary for compliance with clean fuels program requirements.

(2) Based upon the estimates in subsection (3) of this section, the fuel supply forecast must include a prediction by the department of commerce regarding whether sufficient credits will be available to comply with clean fuels program requirements.

(3) The fuel supply forecast for each upcoming compliance period must include, but is not limited to, the following:

(a) An estimate of the potential volumes of gasoline, gasoline substitutes, and gasoline alternatives, and diesel, diesel substitutes, and diesel alternatives available to Washington. In developing this estimate, the department of commerce must consider, but is not limited to considering:

(i) The existing and future vehicle fleet in Washington; and

(ii) Any constraints that might be preventing access to available and cost-effective low carbon fuels by Washington, such as geographic and logistical factors, and alleviating factors to the constraints;

(b) An estimate of the total banked credits and carried over deficits held by regulated parties, credit generators, and credit aggregators at the beginning of the compliance period, and an estimate of the total credits attributable to fuels described in (a) of this subsection;

(c) An estimate of the number of credits needed to meet the applicable clean fuels program requirements during the forecasted compliance period; and

(d) A comparison in the estimates of (a) and (b) of this subsection with the estimate in (c) of this subsection, for the purpose of indicating the availability of fuels and banked credits needed for compliance with the requirements of this chapter.

(4) The department of commerce, in coordination with the department, may appoint a forecast review team of relevant experts to participate in the fuel supply forecast or examination of data required by this section. The department of commerce must finalize a fuel supply forecast for an upcoming compliance period by no later than 90 days prior to the start of the compliance period.

Severability—2021 c 317: See note following RCW 70A.535.005.