“Climate change is an existential threat that cannot be ignored, and we are doing our part to move further and faster to save our planet,” said Puget Sound Energy (PSE) President and CEO Mary Kipp, as stated in a new report.
At a meeting with the Board of County Commissioners yesterday, PSE’s Senior Local Government Affairs Representative Kristine Rompa briefed the board on PSE’s safety moment, background, clean energy, transformation and clean energy products.
PSE is Pacific Northwest’s oldest and largest energy facility. In 2020, only 42% of the PSE’s energy was from "non-emitting sources."
Non-emitting sources generate electricity through fuel combustion without the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs).
The facility aims to ensure that the Pacific Northwest will be carbon neutral by 2030, wherein 86% of the energy is from non-emitting sources.
"We’re evolving our electricity mix to meet the needs of cities and communities in the Pacific Northwest,” PSE’s report stated.
PSE has a service area of 6,000 square miles, primarily in Western Washington, as its headquarters is in Bellevue, and its 3,000 employees also come from the region.
Over 1.2 million customers depend on PSE, and nearly 900,000 of them are natural gas customers.
PSE generates a combined 6,566 Megawatts per year through owned, operated, or long-term contracted plants.
“We actually do own two of our own hydro facilities… we also own and operate three wind farms on eastern Washington. And this week, we actually did break ground on a brand-new wind farm in Montana,” shared Rompa.
“We’re building a new facility over there it’s called Beaver Creek, and so this makes Puget Sound Energy the fourth largest utility generator in wind power in the United States,” Rompa added.
In Thurston County PSE has:
“Washington has enacted some of the most aggressive clean energy climate change policies in the nation and we're working very hard to comply,” said Rompa.
The Clean Energy Transformation Act (SB 5116) passed in 2019 commits the state to a carbon-neutral electric supply by 2030 and 100% clean electricity by 2045.
The Climate Commitment Act (SB 5126 - "Cap & Invest") passed in 2021 establishes a comprehensive program to reduce carbon pollution and achieve the state's greenhouse gas limits set in state law.
The Clean Fuel Standard (HB 1091) passed in 2021 curbs pollution from the transportation sector, which accounts for almost 45% of state greenhouse gases emissions.
The Clean Buildings Act (HB 1257), passed in 2019 adopts a new energy performance standard for existing commercial buildings over 50,000 sq. ft.
Rompa also discussed the Clean Energy Transformation Act, which aims to eliminate coal-fired resources from electric supply on December 31, 2025, produce a carbon-neutral energy supply, and 100% non-emitting electricity supply goal.
Rompa said the transition to clean energy would require significant investments on behalf of the consumers, which will result in higher energy bills.
At the same time, we must ensure all our customers, especially those who shoulder an outsized share of the climate burden, help shape and benefit from the transition to clean energy.
“We have a lot of bill pay programs because it's expensive. It's going to impact a lot of our lower-income taxpayers and we're continuing looking at how to increase our bill pay support and help. There are a lot of payment programs out there that will help our customer and their unique situation,” said Rompa.
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Yeti1981
"Rompa said the transition to clean energy would require significant investments on behalf of the consumers, which will result in higher energy bills." Also, $40k to $70k in home updates including customers having to pay for transmission lines to the home, rewiring the home, replacing all gas appliances, etc. This is a huge hit to working families across the PSE service area. PSE skirts responsibility, and the Washington families foot the bill.
Wednesday, April 10 Report this
Southsoundguy
This is a scam.
Wednesday, April 10 Report this
GlennBlackmon
Thanks for this report. Please note that PSE's plan is to be GHG neutral by 2030 for its electricity service only. This is the state requirement under the Clean Energy Transformation Act, which covers electricity only. It will take more time for PSE to reduce or offset the emissions from the fossil natural gas that it delivers to customers.
Wednesday, April 10 Report this
ejpoleii
Anyone with any knowledge of economics and energy production knows that this is impossible and a recipe for disaster.
Friday, April 12 Report this