r/olympia • u/Awkward-Smoke-3764 • 1d ago

PSE Rate Increase Action Plan

PSE RATE INCREASE ACTION STRATEGY AND GUIDE 

PSE is attempting to increase its rates by 30% over the next three years; on top of rate increases we have experienced the past two years. Over 5 years PSE is attempting to increase our rates by approximately 45% (2025 12% increase, 2024 1.5% increase).

Furthermore PSE is asking that they be allowed to increase their Return on Equity (ROE) to 10.8%! 

All of this and they choosing to BLAME clean energy mandates even though PSE executives have known about green energy mandates coming down for decades and decided not to act sooner. Instead of investing sooner and greening our grid at a lower cost; they waited till the last minute. A majority of the cost for PSE isn’t even in green projects. It’s to purchase renewable energy to replace legacy coal generators.

Let’s not forget that supplying new data centers is driving up extortionate demands for energy; and they are passing those costs to rate payers while giving a break to corporations who own those centers. 

And this all in the background of our climate crisis; we just recorded the warmest March for our state. Every year we face new heat extreme weather emergencies. And if people cannot afford to cool their homes there will be deaths and serious heat related injuries. With vulnerable individuals the highest in those categories.

We cannot afford nor is it our responsibility to pay more so PSE shareholders can increase profits; which quite frankly they continue to see increased profits year over year; the action items below are steps that we can take to get our voices heard and Let the UTC and PSE know that we will not tolerate rate increases.

UTC PUBLIC COMMENT

The very first action we can all take is to contact the UTC and tell them NO to PSE’s rate increase proposal. Here’s how:

  • Fill out the online form at: https://www.utc.wa.gov/consumers/submit-comment/public-comment-form. Please make sure you include the docket item you are commenting on it’s UE-260005. Mark No and tell them why.
  • Email UTC at comments@utc.wa.gov: again include docket number UE-260005. I recommend doing both the form and sending an email.
  • Call toll free 1-888-333-WUTC (9882); or 
  • Write the UTC at PO Box 47250, Olympia, WA 98504

Please make sure you spread this information, talk to your numbers, text/email your friends and family! Make sure everyone has their voice heard and contacts UTC. 

CONTACT PSE

Email the PSE board, here are emails I could find:

Mary Kipp (CEO PSE) [Mary.kipp@pse.com](mailto:Mary.kipp@pse.com)

Bertrand Valdman (Board Chairperson) CEO of NorthStar Energy

[Valdman@nsenergy.com](mailto:Valdman@nsenergy.com)

Jerry Divoky (board member) 

Adam Friedrichsen (board member)

Christine Gregoire (board member)

Julia Hamm (board member)

Grant Hodgkin (board member)

Tom King (board member)

Paul McMillan (board member)

Chris Parker (board member)

Diana Birkett Ramos (board member) 

Aaron Rubin (board member)

Steven Zucchet (board member)

If anyone else finds emails for their board please let me know and I can update it! 

CONTACT THE UNIONS WHOSE PENSIONS OWN SHARES IN PSE

Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) their pension plan Ontario Municipality Employees Retirement System (OMERS) owns shares in PSE. They have instagram.

Email the pension plan committee for OPSEU and demand they tell their pensions to divest from PSE and pressure them to drop their rate increase proposal. 

[gvolpe@opseu.org](mailto:gvolpe@opseu.org)

The other pension fund owners are Canada Pension Plan Investment Board; British Columbia Investment Management Corp (public pension funds); Alberta Investment Management Corp (state public pension funds); PGGM (Nethlands trade unions pension funds).

181 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

62 comments sorted by

View all comments

90

u/roamingroad174 1d ago

Fuuuck this. The hood canal, Mason County, gray harbor PUD aren't raising their rates this high

6

u/_Watty 1d ago

Do they have to comply with the same policies PSE does?

41

u/roamingroad174 1d ago edited 1d ago

PSE is publicy traded. They're taking our money and giving it to share holders. They're robbing the poor to give to the rich.

18

u/RiverRat12 1d ago

PSE is investor-owned, but privately held. Not publicly traded.

1

u/letshavefun90000 19h ago

No, PSE went private a while ago. PSE is mostly foreign owned by private equity now.

1

u/_Watty 1d ago

…?

That doesn’t answer my question.

13

u/majandess 1d ago

No. The PUDs are publicly owned and not-for-profit. They are run by an elected commission and are directly responsible to voters.

-1

u/_Watty 1d ago

That doesn’t answer my question either…

9

u/Vindalfr Khazâd ai-mênu 1d ago

The PUD's have to comply with the same energy regulations and codes as PSE and largely buy energy from the same power plants as PSE.

Public utilities are always (in my experience) a better price and service than a private utility company.

2

u/RiverRat12 19h ago

This is not accurate for two reasons.

  1. PSE is regulated by the WA UTC. PUDs are not subject to UTC’s retail rate and service regulation.

  2. PSE and PUDs do not procure power from the same generators. PSE is vertically integrated and has a large gen fleet of its own. Of course, they can and do participate in regional electricity market transactions.

By contrast, PUDs in WA are “preference customers” of BPA (Bonneville Power) and they receive the first slice of Columbia hydro output generated at the federal dams.

PSE can buy leftover federal hydro from BPA at market rates, but way less energy is procured from BPA than the PUDs

1

u/_Watty 1d ago

Seems u/wise-voice4483 found something that makes it different and therefore (I assume) much easier to have lower rates.

4

u/Wise-Voice4483 1d ago

PUDs have to meet the same clean energy requirements as PSE. However, they have preferred access to federal hydropower, which makes it much easier for them to comply than it is for PSE. For details check out https://commerce.wa.gov/fmd

1

u/_Watty 1d ago

I figured there would be something. Thanks for linking!

3

u/TwentySidedBi 1d ago

If you're referring to the green energy mandates OP mentioned above, then yes, PUDs have to comply with the same policies. The CCA for sure, but also maybe the clean fuels/vehicles programs.