Rates for Puget Sound Energy (PSE) customers went up Jan. 1, with about a 12% hike for electric customers and 7% increase for natural gas customers.
The state Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved several requests filed by PSE to raise rates at its Dec. 23 meeting.
The electric rate hike is about $17 per month for the average residential customer using 800 kWh (kilowatt hours) per month, according to a Dec. 31 UTC press release.
The average natural gas residential customer using 64 therms a month and connected before July 25, 2021, will see an increase of about $6.50 per month.
PSE asked the UTC to recover costs related to its actions to:
• Comply with the Climate Commitment Act (CCA).
• Expand clean energy provided to customers.
• Pay for investments to increase reliability and safety for customers.
• Address low-income bill assistance costs.
The CCA caps and reduces greenhouse gas emissions from Washington’s largest emitting sources and industries. Currently, utilities receive some no-cost emission allowances from the state Department of Ecology to lessen the financial burden of compliance, but these do not cover all the allowances utilities must purchase to comply with the CCA, according to the UTC.
In addition to the CCA requirements, PSE is changing its electricity resource portfolio to achieve Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) requirements while also preserving essential grid safety and reliability standards.
Commission staff reviewed and confirmed that PSE’s requests were justified and recommended approval. After hearing from commenters, including customers, the commission approved PSE’s requests.
About the UTC
The UTC regulates the rates and services of investor-owned electric utilities, telecommunications companies, natural gas and water companies, solid waste collection companies, household-goods movers and passenger transportation companies, commercial ferries, pipeline companies, marine pilotage, and a low-level radioactive waste repository.
About PSE
Bellevue-based PSE provides service to around 1.2 million electric customers and nearly 900,000 natural gas customers in 10 Central and Western Washington counties.
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