Media Contact: (360) 664-1116 or media@utc.wa.gov
Docket Numbers: UE-220405, UE-220400, and UE-220410
Lacey, Wash. – The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission found Puget Sound Energy (PSE), PacifiCorp, and Avista - the state’s investor-owned electric utilities, continue to comply with state renewable energy requirements.
The Energy Independence Act (EIA), approved by voters in 2006, requires qualifying electric utilities with at least 25,000 customers to obtain at least 15% of their electricity from eligible renewable resources, including wind, solar, and biomass facilities. Under the EIA, most hydroelectric power is not included in the calculation of renewable energy generation.
The three-member commission determined that PSE, PacifiCorp, and Avista complied with the state renewable resource requirements. PSE exceeded its commission-approved target of 3,084,363 megawatt hours of renewable power, acquiring 3,794,770. PacifiCorp exceeded its target of 619,808 megawatt hours, acquiring 952,569. Avista exceeded its target of 839,421 megawatt hours, acquiring 1,402,427.
The 6,149,766 megawatt hours of eligible renewable electricity produced by the three investor-owned utilities in 2022 is roughly equivalent to the power needed to serve two thirds of the city of Seattle for a year.
Each company will file a final compliance report by 2024 showing exactly which resources were used to meet its target and request a determination from the commission that the utility complied with its target.
The UTC regulates private-electric companies but not publicly owned utilities such as public utility districts or municipal utilities. The Washington State Department of Commerce monitors EIA compliance for the state’s consumer-owned utilities.
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Bellevue-based PSE provides electricity service to more than 1.1 million electric customers in eight Washington counties: Island, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Pierce, Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom.
Spokane-based Avista serves more than 250,000 electric customers in Eastern Washington.
Portland, Ore.-based PacifiCorp is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy of Des Moines, Iowa. The company provides electric service to about 130,000 customers in six Eastern Washington counties: Kittitas, Columbia, Garfield, Benton, Walla Walla, and Yakima. Cities in the company’s service territory include College Place, Dayton, Grandview, Naches, Pomeroy, Prescott, Selah, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Union Gap, Waitsburg, Walla Walla, Wapato, Yakima, and Zillah.
The UTC is the state agency that regulates private, investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities in Washington. It is the commission’s responsibility to ensure regulated companies provide safe and reliable service to customers at reasonable rates, while allowing them the opportunity to earn a fair profit.
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