Washington’s clean energy transformation requires a dynamic approach. Some major strategies include:

• Significant investment in new, cleaner energy resources
• Expanded energy efficiency practices across all communities
• Customer programs to reduce electricity use during times of high energy use
• Improving energy infrastructure to create a more dynamic and reliable power grid

Energy efficiency includes any practice or technology that helps you conserve energy. This does not mean that you have less than you need. Instead, reducing energy loss and waste allows you to use just the right amount for your needs.

Energy saving practices at home

No matter if you rent or own, you can reduce your energy usage – and your bill – by following some simple, easy energy efficient practices such as:

• Turn off lights when you leave a room
• Use cold water instead of hot water to wash clothes
• Weather-strip windows and doors to reduce air leaks
• Caulk or patch holes in your walls
• Use your dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand

A little change can make a huge difference!

Learn more about energy efficient practices for your home.

Energy efficiency can also mean voluntarily reducing your energy usage during times when many people are using a lot of energy at the same time, which taxes the energy grid. This practice is called “demand response.”

Changes you might make during a demand response event could be:

• Running your dishwasher in the morning instead of the evening
• Turning your thermostat down a degree or two when it’s cold outside
• Turning your thermostat up a degree or two so your AC doesn’t run as often

Participation is voluntary but engaging in these small changes can greatly impact the safety of communities by reducing the risk of outages and increasing energy reliability.

Want to get involved?

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) offers a program called PSE Flex, which gives you bill credits when you agree to reduce your energy use during these high-use moments.

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) offers a program called PSE Flex, which gives you bill credits when you agree to reduce your energy use during these high-use moments.

You can even earn a bonus just for enrolling!

Learn more about PSE Flex.

For PSE, it means taking a holistic approach to updating and improving our infrastructure to create a power grid that's reliable, resilient, smart and flexible. Above all, it also needs to be safe and designed to meet our customers' unique energy needs and expectations.

A power grid is an interconnected network that allows electricity to travel to various locations. Without a grid, we could make energy, but it would have nowhere to go. There is not one single power grid. Multiple power grids operate across short and long distances to deliver power to communities.

The process for creating a modernized grid means investing in new equipment, installing new software and communication platforms, testing and deploying new technology and empowering customers with tools to make their own energy choices.

Some of our grid modernization programs, like Distribution Automation and Demand Response, utilize smart technology, while others provide structural improvements and support the overall health of our delivery system.

Learn more about grid modernization.

Transitioning to cleaner energy is complex. It has its benefits – and its challenges. Those who are confused, concerned, or skeptical are not alone. However, the ultimate objective of this transition is to create a cleaner, healthier state for all – to do our part in creating a state where future generations can thrive.

It is important to understand both the unique opportunities and benefits of this transition.

Benefits

Improved air quality

It is no secret that human activity has led to an increase in harmful gases that continue to warm our earth – and contaminate our air. Sometimes you can see the poor air quality, such as smog from excess vehicle pollution. But sometimes poor air quality is invisible until it results in visible health problems.

Cleaner energy will help reduce the number of toxic contaminants – visible and invisible – in the air we breathe. The fewer contaminants in the air, the cleaner the air is to breathe.

Increased control

You can have more control over your energy use than ever before. For decades, energy has been transactional. You use it, get a bill, pay it and repeat the cycle. That is changing.

With the transformation to cleaner energy, you will have multiple opportunities to take control of your energy production, energy storage and energy consumption – and even get paid to do it.

Learn more about demand response and bill credits.

Opportunities

Cost

Cleaner energy can be more expensive to produce than coal-fueled energy. This means that bill totals are expected to rise. For many communities, increased bill payments would be too much of a burden. We understand this, which is why we have created multiple programs to benefit income-eligible community members. Some of these programs can help make your home more energy efficient, which can also help with cost-management.

Learn more about our bill reduction programs.

Accessibility

For some, learning about the different cleaner energy technologies, available cost-reduction programs, or energy efficiency practices can feel inaccessible. However, we are committed to reaching a variety of communities over the next several years to provide listening, learning and engagement opportunities about the cleaner energy transformation.

Find out more about upcoming events and current community engagements.

Achievability

Can we accomplish our goals? Yes – with your help. A system-wide transition like this needs community involvement.
You can get involved in several ways:

• Visit us at one of our events.
• Sign up for PSE Flex – a demand response program that pays you to reduce your energy output when demand is at its highest.
• Engage in energy efficiency practices.
• Take advantage of available energy rebates.
• Learn more about where we are on the cleaner energy journey.

The cleaner energy transformation happens over decades, not days. The more we invest in the transition to cleaner energy, the more we can evolve our daily practices and cleaner energy technologies to become even greener, cleaner and healthier for our world.