RCW 39.35B.010: Legislative findings.

The legislature finds that:

(1) Operating costs of a facility over its lifetime may greatly exceed the initial cost of the facility;

(2) In the planning, design, and funding for new construction or major renovation of state-owned facilities it is desirable to consider not only the initial costs relating to design and construction or acquisition, but the anticipated operating costs relating to the building throughout its life;

(3) The consideration of both initial and operating costs is known as life-cycle cost or life-cycle cost analysis;

(4) Operating costs of a facility for purposes of this chapter include, but are not limited to, energy costs, maintenance and repair costs, and costs of the work or activity performed within the facility, including wages and salaries;

(5) Current law, chapter 39.35 RCW, speaks to life-cycle cost analysis only in relation to energy conservation; and

(6) Life-cycle cost may not be suitable or cost-effective for all capital projects or all components of a facility, and is not an exclusive criteria for decision-making, but is nonetheless a useful framework for evaluating design and capital investment alternatives.