Puget Sound Energy Supports Solar 4R (for Our) Schools Project in Olympia

Washington Middle School Debuts a Demonstration Solar Power Project to Educate Students About the Benefits of Solar Energy

Puget Sound, Wash. (May 10, 2007) – Puget Sound Energy (PSE) today officially donated its most recent demonstration solar power project to Washington Middle School, in Olympia, Washington. The installation is the fourth funded by PSE to showcase solar technology as part the utility’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the use of renewable energy.

“We’re pleased to be able to provide this project for the teachers and students of Washington Middle School. We believe it will provide a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the value of alternative energy sources,” said Tom MacLean, Manager of Customer Renewable Energy Programs for PSE. “Our energy future will have to include many more solar installations like this one.”

In addition to financing the project, PSE secured the services of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), a non-profit organization, to manage the installation and provide the school with renewable energy curriculum materials, a teacher-training seminar, and ongoing educational support. PSE also collaborated with BEF on the interconnection of the system, and made available the “net metering” arrangement that allows delivery of any excess solar power back to the utility system.

PSE’s commitment to the development of renewable energy is extensive. In 2006, the utility’s Green Power Program was ranked among the top 10 of such programs nationally, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

PSE believes that renewable energy resources should be an integral part of its overall supply portfolio. As evidence of this philosophy, the company recently augmented its existing wind power resources by constructing two large wind facilities in Eastern Washington. The company is also building a 500 kW solar-electric project, the Northwest’s largest, alongside the utility’s Wild Horse wind-farm in central Washington.

To fulfill its renewable energy educational mission, PSE funds Solar 4R Schools projects such as this one at Washington Middle School and a similar project recently completed at Redmond High School in Redmond, Washington. In addition to funding school projects, PSE supports other public education projects that promote the development of the solar-electric industry. Such projects include: a 10-kilowatt installation on the Puget Sound Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee’s (PSEJATC) Training Center; a 1.1-kilowatt system on The Institute for Environmental Research and Education (IERE); and a 20-kilowatt project on the Washington State Capitol building.

"We are very proud to take part in this demonstration project,” said Olympia School District Superintendent Bill Lahmann. “We are excited to be the first school district in Thurston County to participate in the program. This will be a powerful tool in teaching generations of students about renewable energy, how it works, and why it is important for our future."

Washington Middle School’s 1.1-kilowatt (kW) solar power system provides teaching, research, and hands-on demonstration opportunities for a generation of students. The system is supplemented by a web-based monitoring system that provides real-time access to information regarding the system’s performance from any internet-enabled computer at any time. For more information on the system or to see how it is performing, visit: www.Solar4RSchools.org.

PSE’s funding for this project was made possible at no additional cost to its customers through a unique collaboration with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) and the use of the Conservation and Renewables Discount program offered by the Bonneville Power Administration. To learn more about other projects PSE has supported through this collaboration and through its Green Power Program, visit PSE.com.

About Puget Sound Energy
Washington state’s oldest and largest energy utility, with a 6,000-square-mile service territory stretching across 11 counties, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) serves more than 1 million electric customers and 713,000 natural gas customers. PSE, a subsidiary of Puget Energy (NYSE: PSD), meets the energy needs of its growing customer base through incremental, cost-effective energy conservation, low-cost procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted investment in the energy-delivery infrastructure. For more information, visit PSE.com.

About the Bonneville Environmental Foundation
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation is a national non-profit organization, established in 1998 to restore watershed ecosystems and further the development and use of new renewable energy resources. Through revenues generated from the sales of green power products, BEF funds projects that restore damaged watersheds and support new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass. BEF pioneered the sale of Green Tags in 2000 and has helped establish national standards for certification and trading. More information is available on the web at www.b-e-f.org.