Tell WUTC Commissioners to deny PSE rate hike!

Major price hike

Puget Sound Energy has asked the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) to approve energy price hikes of 6.9% for electricity and 7.9% for natural gas. If approved, PSE would collect $200 million in additional annual revenue. Customers will receive little or no benefit.

Public Comment

The WUTC is taking public comments until February 6th. The Commission accepts comments by web, mail, e-mail and phone. Every comment helps us achieve a better outcome.

Quick and easy comment

To start your email (you can still personalize it if you wish), click on this link:

Create email to WUTC

Be sure to fill in your name and address at the bottom.

If the link does not work in your browser, you can copy and paste the sample letter below.

Create your own comment

A comment you write yourself is even more effective than a form letter. It doesn’t have to be long or legally brilliant. Even a few sentences will make a difference.

Mail to: [email protected] (click link to start your email)
Subject: PSE Rate Case, Dockets UE-190529 & UG-190530

Include your name, address, and identify yourself as a PSE gas and/or electric customer.

Possible topics

PSE customers already have some of the highest electricity rates in the state
PSE is building un-needed infrastructure such as Energize Eastside, the Lake Hills Transmission Line, and the Tacoma LNG facility in order to raise rates and increase profits
You might list improvements for which you’d be willing to accept a rate increase, for example:
- Cleaner energy
- Increased safety
- Improved quality of life and aesthetics in our neighborhoods
- Preservation of trees
- Improved reliability
- Smart technology and micro-grids to maintain power after disasters like earthquakes or malicious attacks
- More transparent reporting and accountability
- Faster response to outages
- Better vegetation management
- More undergrounding of wires

You could say that PSE is not proposing to accomplish any of these things with this rate hike. If PSE is not putting forward a compelling vision for the future of our energy, why should we reward them with a rate increase? That would just perpetuate bad behavior and outcomes contrary to our community values.

If you want more ideas for comments, here is a good article from 350 Tacoma.

Sample letter

Dear Commissioners,

I am a PSE customer who is dismayed to hear the company is seeking your approval to raise its electricity rates by 6.9% and gas rates by 7.9%. The cost of PSE’s dirty energy is already among the highest in the state. Please reject this request!

Now is not the time to reward PSE’s Canadian and Dutch investors with an extra $200 million per year while the company continues to pursue infrastructure projects like Energize Eastside, the Lake Hills Transmission Line, and the Tacoma LNG plant. These projects raise safety risks for residents, destroy thousands of valuable urban trees, and do little to provide cleaner energy. PSE refuses to provide data demonstrating the need and safety of the projects and rejects offers to meet with community leaders to discuss better options for our energy future.

Until PSE demonstrates its commitment to improve reliability, reduce environmental impacts, and truly listen to community concerns, we respectfully ask the Commission to deny all PSE rate increases.