PSE’s Green Direct program is fully subscribed

Green Direct is PSE’s new renewable energy product specifically targeted to meet demands of commercial and governmental customers

BELLEVUE, Wash. (10/16/2018) PSE’s Green Direct program is fully subscribed

Puget Sound Energy is expanding its innovative renewable energy product, Green Direct, to allow participants the ability to purchase 100 percent of their energy from dedicated, local, renewable energy resources. PSE’s second round offering of the Green Direct project will be a blend of wind and solar, with the solar project being the largest ever built in the state at over 120 MW. It is fully subscribed.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved the second round offering of the PSE’s Green Direct program to allow more customers to take advantage of the offering. The first round, a wind project in Western Washington, was fully subscribed in 2017.

“We can have a bigger impact on the environment when we work in unison,” said Kimberly Harris, president and CEO of Puget Sound Energy. “The power of partnership is the key driver of PSE’s Green Direct program; it’s also essential to the success of PSE’s plan to reduce our carbon footprint by 50 percent by 2040. We believe in a better energy future for our state. Together, we can make that vision a reality.”

Green Direct’s solar project will be located in south-central Washington. The solar project is expected to come on line in 2021 and customers will begin taking delivery of renewable energy at that time.

Customers in the second round offering include six agencies from the state of Washington, including Labor & Industries, Department of Social and Health Services, Department of Ecology, Washington State Patrol, Department of Health, and Washington Department of Transportation.

“The executive order I signed in January requires these state agencies to take significant steps to reduce greenhouse gases through their operations, and I am pleased to see that we are stepping up to the challenge and reducing emissions across state government,” Gov. Jay Inslee said. “Today, we are doing this is by purchasing clean, renewable energy from projects built right here in Washington state. Not only does this get us closer to meeting our emissions reduction goals, but it will also save us money over the long term.

Through Green Direct, participants like Bellevue College will be able to off-set all of their energy usage with renewable energy.

"Bellevue College is always seeking new ways to make our campus more sustainable and to minimize our carbon footprint,” said Dr. Jerry Weber, president of Bellevue College. “We're excited to participate in PSE’s innovative Green Direct program which is expected to provide BC with nearly 100 percent renewable energy for 10 years starting in 2021."

Municipalities like Cities of Issaquah, Kent and Redmond are also participating.

“The City of Redmond is proud to be included in the second phase of PSE’s Green Direct Program,” stated Redmond Mayor John Marchione. “Moving the City’s operational electricity accounts on to the Green Direct program lowers our electricity costs, aligns with our commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and allows us to take a leadership role in moving the dial towards a more sustainable future for Redmond.”

By signing onto Green Direct, the City of Kent expects to save the City several hundred thousand dollars over the life of the contract.

“The City of Kent is committed to being a good steward of the environment, and the City Council recently approved an agreement with PSE to use Green Direct power,” said Kent Mayor Dana Ralph. “This means the City is doing its part to use renewable energy. We are grateful for the partnership with PSE. The city believes participating in this program is the right thing to do.”

About 95 percent of Issaquah’s city facilities will receive electricity from renewable energy sources through Green Direct.

“We are thrilled to support the development of innovative renewable resources right here in Washington state,” said Issaquah Mayor Mary Lou Pauly. “This groundbreaking program aligns with our values and environmental stewardship goals – and also helps us meet our own targets for reducing carbon emissions.”

According to the Bellevue Utilities Department, Green Direct will allow it to meet its core mission while supporting renewable energy.

“Green Direct is a win-win,” said Nav Otal, Director of Utilities for City of Bellevue. “We are proud to be doing our part.”

The Port of Bellingham will join the Port of Seattle in participating in Green Direct.

“As the second public port in Washington State to participate in Green Direct, the Port of Bellingham will source 100 percent of its electricity from wind and solar energy production,” said Port of Bellingham Commissioner Michael Shepard. “Our commitment to renewable energy complements our ongoing environmental sustainability efforts.”

Green Direct will also serve PSE’s commercial customers like Walmart, T-Mobile, Providence St. Joseph Health, and Kaiser Permanente.

“Powering our Bellevue HQ with renewable energy through the Green Direct program is an all-around WIN for T-Mobile,” said Mike Sievert, president and COO of T-Mobile. “We’re potentially going to save millions of dollars AND take yet another step toward our commitment to have 100% renewable energy by 2021! It’s a no-brainer.”

Kaiser Permanente’s goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2020 and to be carbon positive by 2025.

“We are excited to be leading the way on investing in a carbon-free energy grid,” said Kaiser Permanente Washington’s Sustainability Manager Matthew Benedict. “From waste reduction to renewable energy, Kaiser Permanente is living its commitment to being a part of thriving communities.”

Providence St. Joseph Health has committed to making measurable improvements in its environmental impact, including carbon neutrality by 2050.

“The Providence St. Joseph Health family of organizations believes there is a critical link between health and the environment. To create healthier communities, our healing must extend beyond the walls of our facilities and into the environment around us,” said Richard Beam, chief environmental officer of Providence St. Joseph Health. “Our investment in renewable power through this partnership with PSE is an important step on our journey to achieving our environmental goals and improving the health of our planet.”

Walmart will receive enough renewable energy to power 12 stores, which is approximately 72 percent of the company’s load on an energy basis under Puget Sound Energy.

“Walmart is happy to join PSE and others in supporting the Green Direct program and the new renewable energy resources being supplied via the program,” said Steve Chriss, Director of Energy and Strategy Analysis for Walmart, Inc. “This initiative will play an instrumental role in Walmart’s efforts to increase our renewable energy use and enhance our ongoing sustainability efforts.”

Permitting is underway for Green Direct’s wind project, and it is scheduled to begin operation in 2019. Those partners include Starbucks, REI, Target, Sound Transit, Western Washington University, King County, and municipalities of, Anacortes, Bellevue, Snoqualmie and Mercer Island.

By switching to renewable power through PSE’s Green Direct program, the Port of Seattle projects will reduce airport carbon emissions from electricity by 28 percent and reduce airport-wide greenhouse gas emissions by five percent.

“The Green Direct program significantly contributes to the Port’s recently adopted greenhouse gas reduction goals,” said Elizabeth Leavitt, Port of Seattle senior director, Environment and Sustainability. “We are proud to partner with others to expand the demand for renewable energy that will benefit the climate and green energy economy.”

State of Washington has also committed to powering the entire Capitol Campus, their data center and other State offices located in the PSE service area during the first round offering.

“With Green Direct, 100 percent of the state Capitol Campus electricity will be powered through renewable resources,” said Washington State Department of Enterprise Services Director Chris Liu. “We’ve been active in adopting energy efficient programs and practices on our campus, such as recently upgrading exterior light fixtures to reduce energy consumption, and this project is another step in using energy wisely.”

Whatcom County and the cities of Tumwater, Olympia, Lacey, Langley, Kirkland, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, Bellingham are also participating.

“As a proud member of the Compact of Mayors, the City of Olympia is committed to reducing our City’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby. “The Green Direct wind project will help us achieve our carbon reduction goals and will allow Olympia to do its part for a healthy planet.”

King County remains the largest customer of the Green Direct program, enrolling nearly all its facilities in Puget Sound Energy service territory, including new chargers at the Eastgate Park and Ride that will power battery electric buses.

“By shifting to Green Direct electricity, we are making the smart choice for our environment, health, and finances. Our transition to wind and solar energy will reduce King County’s direct greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 20 percent and will save a projected $5 million in utility costs over 10 years,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “The strong response to PSE’s latest offering of Green Direct and the falling prices for renewable sources of energy demonstrate the viability of clean electricity for our region.”

While Green Direct is targeted for our commercial and government customers, residential customers can support renewable energy with PSE programs like Green Power, Solar Choice and Customer Connected Solar. These offerings are part of PSE’s strategy to reduce its own carbon footprint 50 percent by 2040 while helping our customers do their part in creating a better energy future.