To the editor:

Island residents need not wait for green power. It is available today and requires very little effort and cost to switch. You don’t need to give up service reliability either.

A Green Power option is available from PSE. PSE operates several renewable power generation facilities including two sizable wind-farms in Washington. PSE is working on expanding one of its wind facilities, further increasing its renewable power mix.

The way to accelerate our communities switch to cleaner power requires consumers to vote with their dollars. The electric power industry is a consumer-driven market and requires consumer input to affect change.

It is important to understand power utilities serve three masters, consumers, government regulators and investors. It is clear that investors expect a return on their investment and that regulators insure that environmental and consumer laws are obeyed. Consumers generally want reliable service at the lowest price. That last bit needs to change a little if we truly care about our environment.

Consumers have the ability to force change to clean, renewable electricity. It starts with creating demand for renewable energy by buying it! If you do not value clean energy, then change will only happen as fossil fuel supplies dwindle or government regulations and enforcement tighten. Stronger government action is not likely in the near future as a new administration has shown little regard for environmental issues and has been vocal about revitalizing coal production.

Selecting Green Power from PSE requires the utility to either produce or purchase true renewable power to match your consumption. PSE and its investors make more money if they produce renewable power verses buying it. It is simple economics; greater demand will yield more green power generation.

According to PSE, about 10 percent of island resident have already self-selected into the Green Power program. Perhaps the remaining 90 percent have forgotten to sign up or are unaware of the program. The city of Bainbridge Island already switched, helping making Bainbridge an official EPA Green Power Community.

Please take the time to visit the PSE website and sign up for Green Power. Green Power costs the average household around $10 a month additional, far less costly than installing solar panels on your roof.

We alone control how clean our future will be. I hope you will choose Green Power.

https://pse.com/savingsandenergycenter/GreenPower/Pages/default.aspx

ROBERT FRAIK

Bainbridge Island