WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Puget Sound Energy (PSE) filed a three-year rate plan request with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) on February 27, 2026. If approved, the new rates would take effect in early 2027.
Under the proposed plan, a typical residential electric customer using 800 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month would see the following monthly bill increases:
- Approximately $28 in early 2027
- About $7 in 2028
- Nearly $16 in 2029
The utility is requesting to recover more than $1.5 billion over the 2027 through 2029 period to cover the costs of building or acquiring 11 new utility-scale renewable energy projects, including wind, solar, and battery facilities.
These projects are needed to address
- growing energy demand
- meet state clean energy requirements under the WA state Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA)
- improve infrastructure to strengthen the grid against extreme weather and wildfire risks – by moving lines underground, upgrading substations and hardening IT systems against cyberattacks
Historical PSE rate changes include a 2-year plan that began January 1, 2023, which resulted in a $223 million increase in electric rates for the first year and $38 million for the second. A typical residential bill increased by $7.75 per month in 2023 and $1.67 in 2024. A January 2025 decision by the WUTC authorized more than 80% of a requested increase in a previous general rate case.
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