As defined by CETA, vulnerable populations means “communities that experience a disproportionate cumulative risk from environmental burdens due to: Adverse socioeconomic factors, including unemployment, high housing and transportation costs relative to income, access to food and health care, and linguistic isolation; and sensitivity factors, such as low birth weight and higher rates of hospitalization.” [WAC 480-100-605]

Additional factors may be added to the definition by PSE’s Equity Advisory Group. In 2021, the Equity Advisory Group advised including economic stress, housing costs, race/ethnicity, historically redlined communities, disability, seniors, language, mental health and home care.

As defined by CETA, a highly impacted community means “a community designated by the department of health based on the cumulative impact analysis required by RCW 19.405.140 or a community located in census tracts that are fully or partially on "Indian country," as defined in 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1151.” [WAC 480-100-605]

The Washington State Clean Energy Transformation Act sets rules for PSE’s electric energy supply. CETA includes the clean energy standards and ensuring all customer benefit from the clean energy transformation.

A roadmap that identifies our clean energy targets, actions, programs and investments over a 4-year period. The CEIP builds upon the resource portfolio in the IRP and CEAP to develop a detailed plan that identifies how we’ll feasibly implement clean electricity over the next four years and ensure equitable distribution of benefits and reduce burdens.

The IRP is a planning exercise that evaluates how a range of potential future outcomes could impact PSE’s ability to meet our customers’ electric and natural gas supply needs. The analysis considers policies, costs, economic conditions and the physical energy system, and proposes the starting point for making decisions about what resources may be procured in the future.

The preferred electric portfolio is the result of IRP analyses that evaluate a range of potential future resource portfolios to identify the lowest reasonable cost, least risk portfolios that meet customer needs, policy requirements and support the equitable transition to a clean energy future, while maintaining affordability and reliability for customers.

The IRP does not make resource or program implementation decisions. The IRP is a 20+ year view of what appears to be cost effective based on the best information we have today about the future.  

As defined by CETA, a customer benefit indicator is “an attribute, either quantitative or qualitative, of resources or related distribution investments associated with customer benefits described in RCW 19.405.040(8).” [WAC 480-100-605] 

Under CETA, clean energy focuses on electric energy resources like renewable energy and alternative resources, like demand resource and distributed energy resources.

As defined by CETA, renewable energy is “water; wind; solar energy; geothermal energy; renewable natural gas; renewable hydrogen; wave, ocean, or tidal power; biodiesel fuel that is not derived from crops raised on land cleared from old growth or first growth forests; or biomass energy.”[ WAC 480-100-605] 

Under CETA, clean electricity resources can include renewable energy, energy efficiency, and demand response, and non-emitting electric generation, such as nuclear. Natural gas does not qualify as clean electricity under CETA, and we don’t see a situation where it could be redefined under CETA either. PSE will need to reduce our use of natural gas in our electricity to achieve the goals of CETA.

PSE has an aspirational goal to transform our natural gas residential service and become a Beyond Net Zero Carbon company by 2045.  

PSE has an aspirational goal to become a Beyond Net Zero Carbon company by 2045.  

To achieve this vision, we’re pursuing a collection of commitments and aspirational goals:

• We’re committed to reducing emissions from PSE electric and gas operations and electric supply to net zero by 2030. By 2045, PSE will have a 100% carbon-free electric supply.
• We aspire to reach net zero carbon emissions for natural gas used in customer homes and businesses by 2045, with an interim target of a 30% emissions reduction by 2030.
• We will go beyond reducing emissions that we report by partnering with customers and industry to reduce carbon across sectors and across the state.

The path to achieving Beyond Net Zero Carbon is complex. We don’t have all of the answers today, but with the right combination of technology, policy, and partnership, we believe this is possible.

Learn more:

• Media Release
• Pathway to Beyond Net Zero Carbon by 2045 white paper

PSE is committed to a public participation process that strengthens community ties and creates solutions that reflect those values. PSE convened an inaugural Equity Advisory Group (EAG) to help seek perspectives from and broaden engagement with communities we serve, including frontline communities of low-income people and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The members of the EAG share perspectives from their lived or working experiences related to environmental justice, Tribal interests, highly impacted communities, vulnerable populations, social services and affordable housing. Our goal is to better understand frontline community values and priorities as we work to deliver a just and equitable clean energy future.

The inaugural EAG members will serve a one-year term to help PSE develop the first CEIP and establish group norms and processes, including the long-term approach to EAG membership recruitment. As the EAG continues into the future and membership evolves over time, PSE will work with the members to identify ways we can integrate equity into all of our electric planning processes. 

The Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) is the regulatory body charged with enforcing the rules of Washington's Clean Energy Transformation Act. Their responsibilities include: 

• Review Draft CEIP
• Approve, deny or modify Final CEIP 
• Oversee implementation