A tradition of leadership
Through mergers and acquisitions, dozens of small utility companies gradually evolved into today's Puget Sound Energy (PSE). The oldest of these–the Seattle Gas Light Company–introduced Washington Territory to manufactured-gas lighting on New Year's Eve, 1873. A dozen years later, another PSE ancestor–the Seattle Electric Light Company–gave the region its first electric service from a central power plant. Yet another of PSE's predecessor companies built the region's first large hydroelectric plant, at Snoqualmie Falls, in 1898.
Ground-breaking innovation continued to be a company hallmark as the 20th century unfolded. Together with various partners, company forebears built the Columbia River's first massive hydropower plant, the Rock Island Dam, in 1932. Then, in 1956, another company predecessor, Washington Natural Gas Company, gave the Puget Sound region its first natural gas service.
A half-century later, the company once again led the way, becoming the Pacific Northwest's largest producer of renewable energy. PSE is the first utility–and so far the only one in the region–to build and operate, two large wind-powered generating facilities.
PSE adopted its name and current structure in 1997 when two of its largest ancestral companies–Puget Sound Power & Light Company and Washington Energy Company–merged. Today, PSE is the largest energy utility in Washington state, serving more than 1 million electric customers and more than 725,000 natural gas customers across 11 counties.