Six investors own PSE. Not one is in Washington. Renton, here's what that means for your bill.
Most of Renton gets its electricity from Puget Sound Energy, but some parts are served by Seattle City Light (check your bill to see which you have). If you're on PSE, a three-year rate request is pending that asks for electric increases of 15.15% in 2027, 3.74% in 2028, and 8.7% in 2029, tied to over $3.2 billion in infrastructure spending. For comparison, City Light averages about $0.14 per kWh versus roughly $0.17 to $0.18 for PSE, though City Light has approved increases of its own that project bills rising more than 80% by 2032. The state utilities commission is holding a virtual public hearing on October 7, and written comments are open under dockets UE-260005 (electric) and UG-260006 (gas) at utc.wa.gov. A comment can be a few sentences about what you pay and what worries you. Include the docket number. I also looked into who owns PSE and whether the monopoly can be challenged in court. Happy to share what I found.