Puget Sound Energy, Whatcom County’s electric utility provider, established an environmental advisory group this afternoon.
The group, composed of regional, state and industry leaders, was formed “as part of its aspirational goal to be a Beyond Net Zero Carbon company by 2045,” PSE announced in a release.
PSE’s “aspirational goal” is mandated by the state Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA), signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee in mid-2019.
The Beyond Net Zero group’s formation reflects the utility’s commitment to partner with a diverse group of community leaders to make sure the commitment is met “without leaving anyone behind,” PSE said.
Leading the panel is former governor Christine Gregoire, who served as the state’s governor until 2013.
Other members of the committee include Bellingham’s Mayor Seth Fleetwood, state representative Debra Lekanoff, and representatives from science and industry groups across the state.
CETA commits the state to “an electricity supply free of greenhouse gas emissions by 2045,” according to the state Department of Commerce. Currently, PSE is on track to meet those goals, with plans to be coal-free after 2025, carbon neutral by 2030 and completely carbon-free by the 2045 legal deadline.
The panel announcement comes just weeks after PSE proposed an almost-13 percent rate hike to fund clean energy projects and goals.
“PSE will target reducing its own carbon emissions to net-zero and help enable other sectors toward carbon reduction across the state of Washington,” according to a press release announcing the climate panel.
