RCW 43.52B.020: Board of directors.

(1) A board of directors must be appointed by January 1, 2027, to provide oversight and advise the authority on policies that are consistent with the purposes of this chapter. The board of directors must hire an executive director by June 30, 2027.

(2) The 10 members of the board are as follows:

(a) The director of the department, or the director's designee;

(b) One member appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate with experience working at a consumer-owned utility, preferably with expertise in the transmission function;

(c) One member appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate with experience working at an investor-owned utility, preferably with expertise in the transmission function;

(d) One member appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate with expertise in rural county land use planning and law and local permitting processes;

(e) One member appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate with expertise in clean energy development;

(f) One member appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate with expertise in ratepayer protection;

(g) One member appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate representing electrical workers with expertise in building electric transmission;

(h) One member appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate with expertise in financing large infrastructure projects;

(i) One member appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate with expertise in wildlife conservation and land use policies; and

(j) One member appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate from a federally recognized Indian tribe, including federally recognized Indian tribes whose reservation or ceded lands lie in Washington state.

(3) One or more members of the board appointed by the governor must have expertise with the Bonneville power administration's transmission service.

(4) At least one-half of the members of the board must reside east of the crest of the Cascade mountains.

(5) No member of the board may represent a person that owns or operates electric generating or transmission facilities.

(6) Members of the board appointed by the governor must serve four-year terms. However, the governor must stagger the terms of six of the initial appointees for terms of one, two, and three years. At the end of the term, these members may be reappointed by the governor and reconfirmed by the senate, or the governor may choose to appoint a new member.

(7) Decisions of the board require a simple majority vote of all the members on the board.

(8) Members of the board must elect a chair from among its membership to serve for a two-year period.

(9) The board must meet at least quarterly.

(10) The department must provide administrative and staff support to the board until the executive director is hired.

(11) Members of the board must serve without additional compensation but must be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided by RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

(12) The board of directors is considered a governing body for purposes of chapter 42.30 RCW and must follow the requirements of the open public meetings act, as they apply to governing bodies.