Yes to East King County PUD!

Welcome! We are a grassroots campaign to replace PSE’s electrical service in northeastern King County with a public utility district. We’re glad you’re here, and we encourage you to look around, ask us any questions you may have, and help us secure a brighter energy future for our communities.

Proposed PUD service area

Why a PUD (public utility district)?

Accountability

As a privately-held, for-profit corporation PSE is virtually unaccountable to customers and has no obligation to be transparent with the public. A PUD is accountable to its customers and is required to be transparent.

LOCAL Control

PSE is owned by Dutch and Canadian investment firms. A PUD is directed by an elected commission of PUD residents, who cannot afford to anger their constituents if they want to be reelected.

CLEANER Electricity

PUDs in Washington prove that it’s possible to generate electricity that is both cost-effective and environmentally responsible. PSE is the most expensive utility in the state and burns more fossil fuel now than it did 10 years ago.

BETTER Value

A PUD has all the right incentives to lower costs and improve reliability. PSE’s incentives are to generate as much profit as possible, even at the cost of reliability.

A Few More Facts… Problems with PSE PSE is a investor-owned, for-profit corporation.

PSE’s revenues have fallen 22% since the company was acquired by foreign investors in 2009.

PSE has reduced costs by trimming maintenance and repair budgets.

Now we have longer and more frequent power outages.

To boost revenues, PSE pursues unnecessary infrastructure projects like Energize Eastside, the Tacoma LNG facility, and the North Seattle Lateral Upgrade pipeline.

For these projects, PSE gets a return on investment of over 9% per year, for 50 years or more.

The interest is paid by customers through higher electric bills for decades.

PSE’s electric rates are now the highest among major utilities in Washington state. Solutions with a PUD PUDs are known for better reliability and customer service.

Commissioners who run the PUD will pursue projects that benefit the community (or they won’t be reelected).

A PUD will reinvest profits in our community rather than sending our money to remote investors.

EKC-PUD is Endorsed By…