September 1, 2004 (Portland, Ore.) — The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) announced today that its customer, Puget Sound Energy (PSE), as part of a broader expansion of its green power program, has committed to an increase in its purchase of BEF's Green Tags generated from regional solar power projects. With this additional purchase, BEF will expand the scope of its Northwest Solar Cooperative, a foundation program that directly supports the development of new solar power projects in the Pacific Northwest.

PSE offers its customers the option of supporting electricity produced from renewable sources, such as the wind and the sun, through its green power program. In response to the overall growth of this program and an interest by customers specifically in solar, PSE contracted with BEF to purchase a larger amount of its Green Tags generated specifically by small solar electric installations throughout the region. BEF, through its Northwest Solar Cooperative, will utilize the funds generated by PSE's increased commitment to support the local development of even more solar electricity generating locations.

“PSE's green power program is one of the region's leading environmental energy programs, providing a great way for people to personally support the benefits of renewable energy,” said Rob Harmon, BEF's vice president for renewable programs. “Already our largest purchaser of Green Tags from solar power facilities, PSE's dedication to this program will help us support existing and future systems for years to come. Today, this additional commitment will allow us to support another 75 kilowatts of solar power in the Pacific Northwest, making this the largest solar program in the region supported entirely by utility customers' voluntary participation in a green power program.”

Originally, PSE had contracted for 450,000 kilowatt hours of green tags from solar power installations over a three-year period beginning in 2004.

“Our request for additional Green Tags is a testament to the commitment and values of our green power customers,” said Mike Richardson, PSE's manager of renewable programs. “Participation in our green power program is up more than 50 percent over last year, and customers continue to sign up at a pace of several hundred per week.”

BEF's Northwest Solar Cooperative encourages utility customers to purchase solar power systems for their homes or businesses. These systems not only generate clean, renewable electricity, but also Green Tags, which customers can sell at a premium to BEF through the Northwest Solar Cooperative. BEF combines these Green Tags with its less-expensive Green Tags from other renewable sources to keep the product affordable.

“The Green Tags represent the premium value that the public places on power generated from clean, renewable resources,” said BEF's Harmon. “Some customers place an even higher value on solar power. To meet this demand, we share in PSE's commitment to provide customers with the best possible mix of resources.”

About the Northwest Solar Cooperative
The Northwest Solar Cooperative is a program of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, administered for BEF by Cascade Solar Consulting LLC in Portland, Oregon. The cooperative pays qualifying homeowners and businesses up to $0.10 per kilowatt-hour Ð almost twice the value of the electricity Ð for the Green Tags produced by their on-site solar power systems. The cooperative has over 120 kilowatts of solar power generation enrolled in the program, including facilities in Oregon and Washington. For more information on the Cooperative, visit www.cascadesolar.com.

About BEF
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, a non-profit organization, was 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. Created by regional environmental groups and the Bonneville Power Administration, the Foundation operates collaboratively with but independent of both.

About PSE
Puget Sound Energy is Washington state's largest energy utility, providing service in 11 counties to 988,600 electric customers and approximately 655,000 natural-gas customers, at a growth rate above the national average.
The utility's green power program has more than 13,000 customers helping to generate approximately (4 million) kilowatts hours every month of renewable energy for the Northwest grid.