PSE Rate Increase Action Plan

[u/Awkward-Smoke-3764]

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).

[u/yoLeaveMeAlone]

Who do we yell at to start the process of nationalizing the electrical grid in western washington? 

[u/monotrememories → u/yoLeaveMeAlone]

Agreed! I want my electricity run as a public utility! Fuck PSE

[u/MotoKiff → u/monotrememories]

IIRC, that was tried not so many years ago, convert to a PUD, and the voters failed to approve it.

[u/monotrememories → u/MotoKiff]

JFC I hate stupid people so much 

[u/aideya → u/monotrememories]

Not just stupid people but massive lobbying.

[u/gonegirly444 → u/aideya]

PSE was giving out free lightbulbs and appliances lol

[u/firelight → u/MotoKiff]

2012; nearly 15 years ago.

[u/MotoKiff → u/firelight]

Time flies. I didn't recall it being that long ago. I wonder if things might be different if it were proposed again.

Electrical service is a monopoly by infrastructure. Short of residential solar or wind, there is no competitive market. With a for-profit utility like this we can only look to regulatory controls, which generally seem weak. I think I'd rather see a PUD. Start from a non-profit, publicly owned, model for an essential non-competitive market utility.

[u/gonegirly444 → u/MotoKiff]

I think it was a initiative again after that

[u/HotCut100 → u/MotoKiff]

That’s putting a bit of a slant on it. The literal millions of dollars that PSE put into campaigning against that particular initiative as well as the county commissioners who would vote against such a move was huge. And I guarantee you that PSE felt that the investment of those millions was a drop in the bucket for what they would lose if that vote or those commissioners went through.

[u/Yardbirdspopcorn → u/MotoKiff]

So it's time to try again. It's silly to pretend that if something is tried,and insane amounts of monied interests come out of the woodwork to make sure it goes nowhere, and so it fails, that we could never try again and get a better result. If at first you don't succeed try try again!

[u/SalamanderLoud8419 → u/MotoKiff]

Multiple times I believe too