(Source: Business Wire)Residential and business demand for clean energy has Puget Sound Energy's Green Power Program delivering twice the amount of electricity from renewable generation sources as it did only two years ago. For 2008, the utility expects to deliver 290,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity from wind, solar and biomass sources to its more than 21,000 Green Power customers - or more than double the 131,000 MWh consumed by the almost 17,500 Green Power participants in 2006.

PSE is working to keep increasing the number of Green Power users in the future, with the utility recently committing to doubling the number of program participants over the next five years by engaging in more aggressive education and outreach. This month the utility signed a contract with 3Degrees, based in Portland, Ore., an expert in increasing Green Power Program participation.

"PSE customers are leading the way when it comes to clean energy," said Kimberly Harris, executive vice president and chief resource officer for PSE. "The rapid growth of the Green Power Program is just one example that residents and businesses in our area are committed to renewable energy, and we are proud to support them in that dedication to the environment."

As of October, 2008, PSE's Green Power Program had 21,505 customers, of which 20,606 are residential customers and 899 are business customers, including 425 of the utility's large-volume customer accounts. The current participation represents a gain from 17,426 customers in 2006 to the 2007 level of 20,457 customers. Total green energy used by these customers rose from 131,000 MWh in 2006 to 246,000 MWh in 2007. About 216,471 MWh have been consumed year-to-date for 2008, a level projected to rise to 290,000 MWh by year's end.

Under terms of PSE's merger agreement settlement with the staff of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) and other parties, the utility has set an aggressive, new target of having 5 percent of its total customers be Green Power customers within the next five years, as compared to just under 2 percent currently.

Customers choosing PSE's Green Power Program agree to pay an additional charge on their monthly bill to support the development of new wind, biomass and solar facilities in the Northwest, above and beyond those renewable energy resources owned by PSE as part of the utility's portfolio. The minimum Green Power purchase is $4 per month for 320 kilowatt hours (kWh), with additional increments of $2 per 160 kWh. Customers can also choose a 100 percent option, with an energy-efficient household using 800 kWh per month paying about $10 more by participating in the Green Power Program.