OLYMPIA, Wash. – Energy experts, Washington residents and other shareholders interested in following state energy legislation need look no further than the Washington State Energy Legislation Tracking Tool for information on current bill activity.
The bill tracking tool follows energy bills in the state legislature – including those submitted before the session began. It features an interactive table detailing the current status of select energy bills. Users can also access legislative websites directly from the tool for additional bill history and information. The tool is available for use by the public through the Washington State University Extension Energy Program Library website.
The WSU Energy Library launched the first tracking tool during the 2005 legislative session. Project analyst Martha Parsons developed the tool with software analyst Chris Fuess after viewing a similar tool used by the Washington Library Association. Fuess also created tracking tools for Larry Ganders, assistant to the WSU president government relations, and the Council of Presidents here.
A unique benefit of this bill tracking tool is that Parsons maintains it rather than a computer. According to Parsons – who updates the tool daily – this ensures that all legislative information is kept current and accurate.
Parsons said the bill tracking tool is a helpful aid to all energy professionals – including those in the utility and building sectors – due to the diverse range of topics covered.
“Our page offers a broad focus on energy legislation, including some environmental bills such as those related to electric cars or greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.
WSU Energy Library Manager Angela Santamaria reported that this year’s bill tracking tool website has had more than 2,000 visits since December.
The bill tracking tool is only one of the 12,000 resources available for use by the WSU community and Washington state residents. The collection includes energy books, journals and digital publications. The WSU Energy Library is also merged with the WSU Griffin catalogue – a multi-million item database.
The WSU Energy Library is a self-funded facility. The bulk of funding originates from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Additional information about the WSU Energy Library and access to the bill tracking tool can be obtained at http://www.energy.wsu.edu/library/.
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