Washington regulators: Puget Sound Energy, PacifiCorp and Avista on schedule to meet state renewable energy targets

All three of Washington’s investor-owned electric utilities – Puget Sound Energy (PSE), PacifiCorp, and Avista – are on track to meet 2022 renewable energy targets, in line with state renewable energy requirements of the Energy Independence Act (EIA), according to state regulators.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission determined this week that all three have exceeded their commission-approved targets on renewable power. Nowhere was this clearer than at PSE, where a target of 3,084,363 MW hours was blown past to reach 3,794,770 MW hours. PacifiCorp was only required to hit 619,808 MW hours but achieved 952,562, while Avista exceeded an 839,421 MW hour goal and acquired 1,402,427 MW hours instead.

This means their renewable electricity production for the year could’ve served approximately two-thirds of Seattle.

Voters approved the EIA in 2006. It requires qualifying electric utilities – those with at least 25,000 customers – to obtain at least 15 percent of their electricity from renewable resources such as wind, solar, and biomass options. Hydroelectric power was left out of consideration. Each company will file a final compliance report by 2024 showing exactly which resources were used to meet its target and request a determination from the commission that the utility complied with its target.

PSE services more than 1.1 million electric customers, while Avista serves more than 250,000 in the eastern portion of the state. PacifiCorp, based in Portland, Ore., also serves approximately 130,000 customers in eastern Washington.