Puget Sound Energy Finds 1 Million Reasons to Celebrate

    Business Editors/Energy Writers

    BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2005--Puget Sound Energy recently became Washington's first utility to serve 1 million electric customers.
    PSE celebrated the achievement today by presenting its ceremonial 1 millionth power customer with free, energy-efficient appliances and a ceremonial Gold electric meter at her new home in Snoqualmie. The utility also announced that, on behalf of all 1 million PSE electric customers, the company is donating the equivalent of 1 million kilowatt-hours of free electricity to help needy households pay their energy bills.
    The utility's $60,000 donation to the PSE-Salvation Army Warm Home Fund approximates Puget Sound Energy's retail price for 1 million kilowatt-hours of electric power. Meanwhile, the company also is buying enough "green tags" from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to essentially convert the 1 million kilowatt-hours worth of donated electricity into "green" power. The nonprofit foundation sells green-tag credits to individuals and businesses across the Northwest to help finance the development of renewable energy resources such as wind- and solar-powered generating plants.
    "This is a significant milestone in our company's 132-year history of serving Washington communities," said PSE President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Reynolds. "Reaching the million-customer mark is a testament to the tremendous vitality and growth of our state and region."
    Besides its 1 million electric customers, PSE also has 672,000 natural-gas customers. Altogether, the utility serves half of all Washington households.
    Reynolds today helped deliver a new clothes washer, clothes dryer, and compact-florescent lighting fixture to the Snoqualmie Ridge home of its 1 millionth electric customer, Aberhet "Abby" Gurmu.
    "Puget Sound Energy has come a long way to reach this point," Reynolds said. "And so has Abby Gurmu -- all the way from her native land in east Africa to her brand new home here in Snoqualmie. We're thrilled to sign up Abby as our one-millionth electric customer."
    Gurmu and her four children expect to move into her newly built home later this spring. Her residence, constructed under the latest "Built Green" standards for energy efficiency, is being built by Habitat for Humanity of East King County.
    The appliances PSE provided to Gurmu all carry the Energy Star(R) label for low energy usage. "Wise energy use is a practice we should all strive for," Reynolds said.

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CONTACT: Puget Sound Energy Media Contact: Lynn Carlson, 888-831-7250

KEYWORD: WASHINGTON INDUSTRY KEYWORD: UTILITIES SOURCE: Puget Sound Energy

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