Puget Sound Energy press release.
Puget Sound Energy submitted its draft plan for expanding use of clean energy to provide electricity customers with safe, reliable and affordable service. Filed with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC), PSE’s Clean Energy Implementation plan (CEIP) charts a course of action for clean electricity programs and investments for the years 2022-2025, in accordance with goals set by Washington’s Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA).
This plan will move PSE forward to nearly 60 percent clean electricity by end of 2025 – well on the way to meeting its clean energy goals of net zero carbon emissions for all PSE operations and electric supply by 2030 and 100% carbon-free electric supply by 2045.
“While we know we don’t have all answers to solve climate change today, we’re excited for this positive step forward,” said PSE President and CEO Mary Kipp. “This plan is the company’s path forward for balancing our clean energy goals with customer expectations of uncompromised reliability, safety and affordability.”
Energy is essential for communities, and the implementation plan outlines PSE’s path to creating a better energy future for its customers and neighbors across the region. Strategies from the plan include:
- Significantly reduce nonrenewable energy sources from the electricity grid by the end of 2025.
- Ramps up our clean electricity resources, like large-scale wind and local solar energy projects that collaborate with homes and businesses.
- Provide customers with more opportunities to save energy and reduce their costs through improving their energy efficiency.
- Sets new direction for new local rooftop and ground solar and battery programs, as well as incentives to reduce energy use during peak periods.
- Ensure the benefits of the clean energy transition are distributed equitably, and provide a strong foundation for building a more inclusive, carbon-free future.
Washington’s groundbreaking Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) requires utility plans to ensure that all customers benefit from the transition to clean energy. PSE’s plan demonstrates a commitment to a public participation process that strengthens community ties and creates solutions that reflect those values. PSE conducted a thorough and thoughtful planning process in pursuit of strategies to better collaborate and consult with stakeholders, especially historically underrepresented populations.
As part of this commitment, PSE created the Equity Advisory Group (EAG), a diverse group of community leaders and representatives from community-based organizations to prioritize equity and lend their diverse and constructive voices to a process that ensures all customers and communities have access to and benefit from the transition to a clean energy future.
“I believe that we can be a model for regions around the world on what it means to have a clean energy future,” said Kipp. “That outlook includes frontline community values and priorities to achieve a just and equitable clean energy future.”
As part of its draft CEIP filing, PSE invites customers and the community to participate in a public comment period from Oct. 18 through Nov. 12. PSE will use the public feedback to improve the final plan, which gets submitted to the UTC on Dec. 17. People interested in commenting on the plan can visit pse.com/plan to provide their input.
PSE is leading utilities with its aspiration to equitably and sustainably reach beyond net zero carbon emissions by 2045. The CEIP is one many next steps to achieve that goal.
