PSE’s Community Solar Program partners with Issaquah School District

The latest Community Solar site was recently installed at Pine Lake Middle School in Sammamish

Bellevue, Washington (3/17/2022) Puget Sound Energy (PSE) partnered with the Issaquah School District to install its third Community Solar site, allowing PSE customers in east King County to subscribe to renewable energy.

Community Solar is a voluntary renewable energy program that allows customers to subscribe to 100% local solar energy. PSE has partnered with communities and organizations across its service area to build multiple new, local solar energy installations for the program.

This installation at Pine Lake Middle School features 480 solar panels and provides 175 kilowatts of AC power, enabling subscribers to share the benefits of solar without the need to install or maintain their own rooftop solar array.

“Partnering with the Issaquah School District is the right thing to do for our customers in East King County who are looking to share the benefits of local solar,” said Andy Wappler, PSE Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer. “Being able to offer our customers the option to subscribe to renewable energy generated within our communities is helping us work together to create a clean energy future for all.”

The Community Solar program launched in 2021 with two other sites located within its service area; one in Kittitas County near Ellensburg and the other at Olympia High School, with more sites to come.

The solar installation contributes to the Issaquah School District’s mission of encouraging students to be stewards of the environment while providing opportunities for further education about the benefits of renewable energy.

“The district is thrilled to be able to partner with Puget Sound Energy in providing green energy,” said Ron Thiele, Issaquah School District Superintendent. “Sustainability is one of the pillars my superintendency has been built on, in an effort to encourage environmental stewardship. While the district has received national awards for these efforts, providing green power is yet another great example of showing how the district and our students care about the planet.”

The solar energy generated by customers’ shares reduces their carbon footprint by replacing some or all of their regular electricity use with renewable energy, allowing them to share the benefits of solar without the need to install or maintain their own rooftop solar panels.

PSE is committed to working together to create a clean energy future for all while setting an aspirational goal to be a Beyond Net Zero Carbon company by 2045. PSE will target reducing its own carbon emissions to net zero and go beyond by helping other sectors to enable carbon reduction across the state of Washington. Partnering with our customers like the Issaquah School District helps PSE engage more people in that mission.

To learn more about Community Solar, visit pse.com/communitysolar.

 

Media Contact:

Andrew Padula, 1-888-831-7250, psenewsroom@pse.com