By Snohomish County PUD
Snohomish County PUD is a proud public power utility. We serve our customers first, not shareholders. We work diligently to deliver power and water that is reliable and affordable to our friends and neighbors. We are overseen by locally elected commissioners, who listen to their constituents and mirror their priorities.
Next week, public power utilities across the country will celebrate Public Power Week. It’s a time to observe the many benefits of public power, from community engagement to customer accountability. We value that public power heritage and its focus on providing safe, reliable, affordable and environmentally sustainable power.
What does it mean to be a public power utility:
It means we serve our neighbors. More than 70 years ago, the PUD was created by community members in Snohomish County and Camano Island to serve power and water to underserved rural areas. That commitment to our neighbors and friends continues today.
The PUD funds robust discount programs and many employees donate part of their own money to help income-qualified customers struggling to pay their bills. We are locally governed by a board of commissioners elected by our customers. Public power utilities are transparent and accountable to the public.
To learn more about the PUD’s income-qualified programs, visit www.snopud.com/discount.
It means we value our natural environment. In line with the values of its customers and employees, one of the key components of the PUD’s Strategic Priorities is the promotion of environmental stewardship and sustainability. This includes purchasing clean power, reducing our carbon footprint and promoting conservation.
The PUD is national leader in clean energy, with more than 95% of its energy coming from clean resources over the past five years. District commissioners adopted a climate change policy more than a decade ago, making the district one of the first utilities in the nation to do so.
To learn more about supporting renewable energy, visit www.snopud.com/carbonsolutions.
It means the PUD’s rates are not for profit. The PUD bases its rates on the cost of delivering power and water to its customers. Earlier this year, through keeping costs down and maximizing efficiency, the PUD did not implement a rate increase for the third consecutive year.
Stable rates have entitled the PUD to lower finance rates and a legacy of support for conservation efforts has reduced the need to purchase expensive power on the market.
To learn more about incentives on conservation products, visit marketplace.snopud.com.
Operating since 1949, Snohomish County PUD is a customer-owned, not-for-profit electric and water utility that serves more than 360,000 customers in Snohomish County and Camano Island. For more information on conservation programs, visit www.snopud.com.
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