Bellevue, WA-based Puget Sound Energy (PSE) announced Wednesday it was filing with state regulators for about a 17%, or almost $10 monthly, retail natural gas rate increase in response to what the combination utility under Puget Energy called “steeply rising wholesale prices.”
Bellevue
Articles from Bellevue
Puget Energy Shows 3rd Qtr Earnings Increase;Year-to-Date Down
Bellevue, WA-based Puget Energy Wednesday reported a 2 cents/share earnings increase for the third quarter compared to the same period last year, but its year-to-date results were down compared to the same period in 2001. The company attributed the decrease to the first quarter of this year when its principal utility subsidiary, Puget Sound Energy, was undercollected in terms of retail rates lagging behind 2001’s skyrocketing wholesale electricity prices.
Puget Sound Energy Seeks Third Gas Rate Cut
Bellevue, WA-based Puget Sound Energy said Monday it was seeking state regulatory approvals for a third natural gas utility rate cut for the year, lowering overall rates by another 12.5%. If the Washington state Utilities and Transportation Commission okays the latest request, gas rates for the year will go down by about 28%, the combination electric-gas utility subsidiary of holding company Puget Energy said.
Offsetting Rate Changes Result in Lower Puget Sound Gas Charges
Bellevue, WA-based Puget Energy’s utility said Friday it reached a natural gas general rate settlement for an increase in retail rates, but reduced wholesale supply costs will offset the increase, resulting in small, but still-undetermined retail rate decrease Sept. 1, according to a company announcement on the settlement with the state of Washington regulatory commission staff, state attorney general’s office and large industrial customers.
Utility Puts Customers in Driver’s Seat
Responding to one of the early lessons from electricityderegulation efforts in California and other states, Bellevue,WA-based Puget Sound Energy announced last week (Sept. 27) it istaking steps to eventually give all of its customers the tools toshift their energy use away from the highest-priced, peak-demandperiods. Elected and regulatory officials in other states likeCalifornia have already said that this so-called”demand-responsiveness” for customers is the one essentialingredient that is missing in their drives to create competitiveretail electric markets.
Puget Sound and Duke to Coordinate Trading
Puget Sound Energy of Bellevue, WA, and Duke Energy Trading andMarketing (DETM) agreed to coordinate marketing and tradingactivities in 14 western states and British Columbia.