PSE has convened an Equity Advisory Group (EAG) that will advise the state’s largest utility on its Clean Energy Implementation Plan (CEIP) set by the state’s groundbreaking climate legislation passed in 2019—the Washington Clean Energy Transformation Act.
The implementation plan is the company’s four-year roadmap that will outline clean electricity targets, actions, and programs. The advisory group is helping to frame the plan with equity and community interests in mind. The group is considering ways to equitably distribute benefits and reduce burdens that stem from electric planning decisions, so that the clean electricity transformation is affordable, accountable, and accessible.
“As we make this clean energy transition, it’s not lost on me that historically many groups have faced barriers to accessing clean energy because of cost, awareness, and systemic inequalities,” said Puget Sound Energy President and CEO Mary Kipp. “Clean energy is important but so is ensuring that everyone can afford it and that all voices are heard and included in the transition.”
The group is comprised of 13 members generally representing community-based organizations from across PSE’s service area. These inaugural members will serve for at least one year to help inform the company’s first CEIP and to give shape to the group’s governance processes. The advisory group will continue into the future and PSE expects the membership to evolve over time.
PSE is leading utilities with its aspiration to reach beyond net zero carbon emissions equitably and sustainably by 2045. As part of that goal, the company is forming a separate Beyond Net Zero Carbon advisory group, which will be a committee to work on PSE’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions on both its natural gas and electric supply.
In addition to the Equity Advisory Group, PSE is also engaging customers and other stakeholders to develop its first CEIP. To learn more about the Equity Advisory Group and the CEIP, visit www.cleanenergyplan.pse.com.