Despite the headwinds at the federal level, Washington continues to work toward a clean energy future. The state’s 60-odd electric utilities must be using 80% clean electricity by 2030, and 100% clean electricity by 2045.
“Most of our state’s utilities are publicly owned,” explains Julian Santos, Washington Conservation Action’s climate and clean energy senior manager. “But there are a few privately owned utilities that have problems, where lots of issues come together: a high reliance on fossil fuels, unrealistic clean energy transition plans, and a large number of customers who cannot absorb ever-rising energy bills.”
Pacific Power, based in Yakima, is a division of PacifiCorp which, in turn, is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy (of billionaire investor Warren Buffett fame). This privately-owned utility serves approximately 113,000 customers, mostly in rural and agricultural areas in central and southwestern Washington. More than two-thirds of its ratepayers live in Yakima County. Many of its customers are Tribal, Latinx, and/or low-income.
”Our clean energy goals are in jeopardy because Pacific Power still gets more than half of its electricity from fossil fuels. And customers pay more money for their power. Of the state’s three investor-owned utilities, Pacific Power has the highest average monthly bills. ”That’s not right,” Santos says. “That’s why WCA has invested in educating people and in encouraging them to speak out.”
The Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA), which WCA helped to pass in 2019, sets the transition goals. CETA requires each utility to file transition plans every four years. The next one covers 2026-2029.
Between August and January, WCA organized local Yakima County activists to submit feedback on Pacific Power’s transition plan. People commented on the company plans to move from 45% clean energy in 2029 to 80% in 2030, delaying compliance with the 2030 clean energy goals until the last minute. People who commented also called for more energy efficiency funding. Older housing stock and extreme temperatures caused by climate change play a role in the high bills.
In early October, Pacific Power submitted the final draft of its Clean Energy Implementation Plan. ”It still needs a lot of work”, Santos says. The company’s clean energy targets remain high on hope, with a massive increase happening in 2028-2029, just before the deadline. Advocates want to see a more realistic plan for the clean energy transition in the final version.
The draft also showed that participation in several of the utility’s programs for low -income households has declined in recent years, including bill assistance and weatherization. To address this decline, advocates are calling on the utility to set meaningful participation targets for its most vulnerable customers to benefit from the clean energy transition.
“It’s a slow process, getting the utility to listen,” says Santos. “We’ll continue working with our local partners to make sure that Pacific Power makes good on its promises, and that they improve their service to these communities.”
