Green Power Programs in Washington

The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) requires that electric utilities in the state offer "a voluntary option to purchase qualified alternative energy resources" to their customers (RCW 19.29A.090(2)). In accordance with this requirement, the state's three investor-owned electric utilities (IOUs) - Avista Corporation (Avista), Pacific Power & Light Company (Pacific Power), and Puget Sound Energy (PSE) - have created special programs that help their customers access such alternative energy resources.

These programs typically work by allowing customers - including homeowners, renters, and business owners - to purchase "blocks" of alternative energy for a small fee per clock.  Each customer can choose to offset as much of their energy usage as they wish, up to and including 100 percent of their monthly usage.

The energy delivered through these programs is "green" power that comes from the following sources:

• Wind
• Solar
• Geothermal
• Landfill gas
• Wave or tide action
• Gas produced during the treatment of wastewater
• Qualified hydropower
• Biomass energy, so long as it meets certain requirements

If you wish to participate in an investor-owned utility's green power program, please access the appropriate link below:

• Avista Corporation
• Pacific Power & Light Company
• Puget Sound Energy

As mentioned above, green power can come from many sources. In practice, wind power is the dominant source of electricity for IOU green power programs; it provided 78 percent of the electricity for such programs from 2012 through 2017. The situation is beginning to change, however, as programs incorporate more solar power into their offerings. In October 2918, Avista christened the largest solar array in Washington to serve its Solar Select commercial customers. PSE is currently the only IOU that provides power through something other than wind and solar; its programs incorporate geothermal, landfill gas, and low-impact hydro, among other options.